JEWELRY CARE
We can all agree that we love our jewelry, so we should be taking great care of these treasured beauties every day. Here are some jewelry care tips to turn your HOUSGOODS Jewelry into heirlooms some day.
- Moisture, lotions, perfumes, chlorine, household cleaning agents, salts - these are just few of the many things that can encourage tarnishing and harming your jewelry. Please avoid them at all costs. We always take our jewelry off when washing our hands and applying lotion. Pro tip: when removing your rings in public areas to wash your hands, we recommend putting them in your pocket so you don't leave them behind!
- As much as we love taking care of our bodies by exercising, hiking, and exploring the outdoors, jewelry is not recommended to be worn during these fun activities as they may damage any set stones or scratch the metal surface of your jewelry. Please leave them in a safe place and they'll greet you with love every time you put them on again.
- Cleaning your jewelry regularly will help keep it looking brand new. Do not use any abrasive brushes as this will cause scratches on the metal and some gemstones.
- Protect your jewelry in individual ziploc baggies and store them in a jewelry box. This will prevent scratches and oxidation.
- Our Rhodium and 16k Gold Dipped (plated) jewelry is a beautiful way to get the rich sophisticated look you want without paying the price of a pure precious metal. Rhodium actually holds the distinction of being the world's most expensive precious metal. Part of rhodium's appeal comes from its high reflectance, almost unique among the metals. The plating on an item that is subjected to a lot of wear or friction, such as a ring and our charms, may only last 6-24 months, whereas a necklace, bracelet or earrings which comes in less contact with skin or the elements, or is simply worn less, can retain its plating for ten or more years. To ensure your rhodium and gold plated jewelry lasts as long as possible, keep it clean with a mixture of mild liquid shampoo and a little water. Never use any chemical cleaners on rhodium plated items, or ultrasonic cleaners that utilize chemicals. Do not use polishing cloths intended for use on gold or silver jewelry, and ensure pieces are not in regular contact with hard surfaces. Non-abrasive, lint free, streak free, micro-fiber cloths are ideal. Let all makeup and perfume dry before putting on jewelry. Wash any make up off jewelry with water and store in a protective box to avoid damage and wear when not worn. Harmful agents listed above in addition to water (i.e. showers, pools/hot tubs, beaches, etc.) should be especially avoided when wearing plated jewelry. Carefully looked after rhodium and gold plated jewelry will allow you to enjoy its beauty for years.
- 16K gold vermeil is sterling silver coated with 16K gold, making it a precious metal all the way through. The gold coating can last many years with the proper care. Use a soft, lint-free polishing cloth to clean lightly. Please see your polishing cloth's informational label to make sure it is safe for vermeil jewelry. Vermeil jewelry should not be aggressively cleaned as the gold coating will be thinned. You should also avoid wearing your vermeil jewelry in pools/hot tubs, beaches (sand/saltwater).
- 14K gold-filled is a solid layer of 14K gold bonded to a base metal. It is 100 times thicker than gold-plating and in turn can last for many of years. Use a soft, lint-free polishing cloth to clean. Please see your polishing cloth's informational label to make sure it is safe for gold-filled jewelry.
- Sterling silver naturally oxidizes and therefore tarnishes. As with vermeil jewelry, all harmful agents listed above including water should be avoided when wearing sterling silver jewelry. The air-tight ziploc baggies mentioned above are extra loved by sterling silver jewelry to block out moisture.
- Gemstones vary in hardness on the Mohs scale, but all should be worn and stored with delicate care. All gemstones, especially softer ones, should avoid prolonged exposure to chemicals, water and sunlight as they may cause colors to fade. Opals, pearls and turquoise are more porous stones and should not be submerged underwater.