Monsoon - Jewellery Care

The season for romance, greenery, good old tea, outings in our verandahs and dancing in the rain is here! Apart from wearing gorgeous outfits, this is also when you bring out pretty jewellery! With some jewellery care tips, keep them looking as good as new. Each piece of your jewellery collection needs optimal protection and care in the monsoon season to preserve their original lustre.
The Glocal Trunk has brought you some much-needed minimalistic yet productive tips to ensure that your jewellery tides through the monsoon season and stays unaffectedly beautiful for as long as possible.  

1. Protect your silver and gold artificial jewellery.

Assemble all your gold and especially silver plated earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, bangles etc. and put them separately in soft cotton pouches. Plastic bags are not impenetrable to humidity but cotton bags prevent the jewels from coming in direct contact with moist, humid air and ultimately, save them from oxidization. Oxidation is the blackening or discoloration or tarnish that occurs on jewellery and it is very frequent in the rainy season. You need to take extra care of your artificial silver pieces during this season. You can either use toothpaste or soft cotton cloth to clean it and avoid letting it get in contact with water.

2. Store your valuables properly, preferably in air-tight bags.

Moisture can affect metal alloy used to make ornaments and cause it to lose its natural lustre. To prevent this from happening, store your jewellery in a box with a sturdy exterior and soft interior. This would keep the moisture and humidity out and the soft interior would save the articles from possible friction and help retain their original sheen. You can also put them in silica gel pouches to absorb excess moisture.  

3. Your gemstones will need special assistance.

Because of their organic nature and delicateness, gemstones like pearls, coral, amber etc. need utmost attention and care. For instance, coming in direct contact with perfumes and sprays especially in the monsoon season may result in irreparable damage. Moreover, this jewellery may develop scratches and nicks from the littlest of frictions. Therefore, you need to take precautions adequately to ensure that these remain in their original form for long. Storing them individually in vacuum moisture-free containers, wrapped in cotton or muslin cloth is your best bet and try to minimize the use of body sprays whenever you need to wear them.  

4. If your jewellery gets wet in the rain, don't worry.

Avoid wearing jewellery when you are heading out in the rain and put them on once you have reached the destination. But even if it does get wet, take a soft cloth, dab the water out and blow dry the trinkets before storing it. Make sure that not a drop of water goes into the jewelry box with the pieces, dry each one of them thoroughly before putting it away.  

5. Clean the baubles after using them

After being exposed to dirt and moisture for a period of time, however small it may be, your jewels will need some gentle cleaning before they can be stowed away. To remove dirt and ensure that the shine does not get ruined, you should clean your jewellery either with warm soapy, non-detergent water or with a soft damped cloth and let it dry. Don’t do this for pearls, corals and opals as they may absorb soap and water! Use a soft cloth to wipe such accessories after wearing and store them in separate boxes.  

Moisture, air, chemicals and tarnishing should never keep you from showing off your precious jewellery to the world. Preserve them this monsoon with these guaranteed TGT's simple DIY tips and revel in their undamaged, graceful-as/ever charm for all the seasons to come!