Many people are not aware that a little extra TLC is needed to maintain fashion jewellery in the humid weather of Singapore. Gold-plated and silver-plated pieces, as well as jewellery made from sterling silver and brass, will tarnish faster in the tropics than in climates with low humidity. With this in mind, we have put together a few tips on keeping your gold-plated bangles, bracelets and earrings shiny and bright in tropical climates (most of these tips apply to sterling silver, silver-plated and brass jewellery too).
Storing
- How you store your jewellery is critical. To prevent tarnishing, they should be kept in a room that is cool and dry – so keep them out of the bathroom.
- Assess the humidity level of the room that you are storing them in. If the room is quite humid and not regularly dried out through air-conditioning (i.e. every night), then you should store your jewellery in small plastic ziplock bags with silica gel or anti-tarnish strips. Squeeze out all of the air before sealing the bag. Do replace the gel/strips regularly to keep them fresh.
- If the room doesn’t have humidity issues, then store your pieces in a soft pouch to avoid scratches and minimise exposure to air. Never store gold-plated jewellery together with silver-plated jewellery, as they can cause each other to tarnish, fade or change colour.
- Bear in mind the state of the room while on holiday – if your room is likely to become humid due to lack of air-conditioning while you are away, then consider putting some silica gel or anti-tarnish strips in with your jewellery as a safety measure.
Wearing
- Avoid contact with any form of chemicals from hair sprays, perfumes‚ lotions or creams – so when going out, put your jewellery on last and make sure your lotion or cream is dry before putting on your gold-plated pieces.
- It’s also best to remove your jewellery before showering or swimming – and ideally keep your bangles out of the way when washing your hands – to avoid any chemicals in the soap, chlorine and water.
- Similarly, you need to avoid contact with household cleaning products and even with heavy sweat, so take your jewellery off before exercising or cleaning activities.
- After wearing your jewellery, gently wipe with a microfibre cloth, soft clean cloth or soft facial tissue to remove any chemicals, oils or sweat. Never use paper towels to clean your jewellery.
Removing tarnish and restoring shine
- To get your plated jewellery shining again, you can gently wash your pieces with lukewarm water and a few drops of mild dish soap, though be sure to rinse them thoroughly and dry them immediately with a microfibre or soft clean cloth.
- Should tarnishing occur, gently polish your gold-plated pieces with a polishing cloth specifically for gold jewellery. But don’t do this too frequently or vigorously, as excessive polishing may remove the plating over time.
- For gold-plated jewellery, do not use silver-only polishing cloths, or jewellery cleaning cloths or products intended for other metals, as the chemicals in them may reduce the life of the gold finish.
- Lastly, do not clean your gold-plated jewellery with toothpaste, vinegar or anti-bacterial soap, as these substances are often too harsh for gold-plated pieces.
Follow these tips and your gold-plated bangles, earrings and other favourite pieces will stay gleaming for longer, even in our tropical climes.