5 things you should keep jewellery away from

Jewellery wearer? Better take off your jewelry when cleaning!

1. Cleaning products and other chemicals in the household

In everyday life, we come into contact with all kinds of chemicals, often without realizing it. Be careful, jewellery can react sensitively to some of these substances.

When doing housework, we use cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals. jewellery can discolor or lose its shine when it comes into contact with these substances. The damage often doesn't show up after just one use. The negative effects of chemicals on jewellery only become noticeable after weeks or months.

Are disinfectants harmful to jewellery?

Not only doctors disinfect their hands several times a day. There are quite a few professions where strict hygiene is crucial. How does disinfectant affect our jewellery?

To answer this question, you need to know the precious metal the piece of jewellery is made from. Gold is a very durable material and doesn’t react to disinfectants. Silver, on the other hand, is different: disinfectants contain alcohol, which attacks the surface of silver and can cause it to discolor.

Jewellery has its fixed place

If you want to enjoy your precious metal jewellery for a long time, it's better to take it off before any (hand) work. The same goes for using disinfectants.

We have a set place at home for our jewellery – for most people, it's the jewellery box in the bedroom. Just putting our jewellery there has become a routine for us. Desperate searching for precious pieces is a thing of the past.

For anyone who doesn't like taking off their jewellery, household gloves can be an alternative. If the jewellery doesn't have any sharp edges, it can be left on while cleaning or washing dishes under a snug (!) cleaning glove.

2. Cosmetic products – do they make women beautiful but jewellery ugly?

Creams and other beauty products are good for your skin, but not a suitable care for jewellery. Cream leaves a greasy film on pieces of jewellery, which makes the material look dull over time. Shiny coatings on precious metals wear off faster than they would with normal use. White gold turns gray and looks unattractive.

No shower for the jewellery

It's really the clean, fresh feeling afterward that makes a morning shower so nice. But jewellery shouldn't shower or bathe. Your favorite pieces won’t get cleaned by shower gel. In fact, the opposite is true. Over time, ingredients in shower gels and shampoos can dull the surface of jewellery.

Showering with jewellery is also inconvenient. For example, you can easily get a ring caught in your hair. This can lead to pain or even injuries.

Good news for everyone who has ever forgotten to take off their jewellery in time. Nobody has to worry about their jewellery because of a one-time contact with creams or shower gel. It's the regular showering and bathing that damages the jewellery.

By the way, cleaning jewellery is really easy. You can find out how in the 6 tips for properly caring for real jewellery.

3. Physical work & sports better without jewellery

When jewellery is worn during physical work, there's a risk of it getting caught. This is especially true for rings, necklaces, and bracelets. At best, it just leads to scratches. But if, for example, a ring gets bent by an accidental bump or hit, it can result in serious and painful injuries. We've been told about crushed fingers and other injuries in this context.

If you like lifting weights at the gym, it's better to leave your jewellery in a locker or just at home. When working out with dumbbells, rings can quickly get nasty scratches. There's also a high risk that lifting weights can bend the ring. Both the jewellery and the wearer can take a hit.

4. Washing hands with a ring on the finger

What about just washing your hands? Does that affect the precious metals too?

It sounds absurd, but when out and about, we actually recommend not taking rings off when washing your hands. The risk of leaving a ring at the sink is high. Losing it causes more trouble than the rare contact with soap. If you really want to take it off, it’s better to put it in your pocket or in your handbag.

And whoever has safely brought the little gem home after all the excitement can do something nice for it right away. How? It's simple: with one of the 6 tips for the proper care of fine jewellery.

5. Wearing jewellery in the sauna, pool, and sea

Sauna goers, heads up! Can you wear your jewellery in the sauna? Yes and no, it depends on the material.

Wearing gold jewellery while sauna-ing

With gold jewellery, going to the sauna is no problem, because as mentioned, gold is very durable. To some of us, it might feel terribly hot. The precious metal gold easily withstands the 90 degrees in the sauna. The noble metal only melts at temperatures above 1000 °C.

Sweat and silver jewellery

We're a lot more careful with silver jewellery. Some people's sweat attacks the surface of silver. So in the sauna and during sports, it's better to take off silver jewellery beforehand.

What about swimming in the pool or in the sea?

Jewellery has no business in salty and chlorinated water. Chlorine and salt attack precious metal jewellery made of silver. The result: the silver surface starts to oxidize. The jewellery or precious metal tarnishes and gradually turns black. Gold also suffers from prolonged contact with salt water. Platinum, on the other hand, has proven to be very durable.

You also need to be careful because our hands get cold in the water and the size of our fingers shrinks. A ring can slip off your finger without you noticing. So if you don't want to lose your ring, take it off before you go swimming.