Caring for costume jewelry may not seem as important as your fine jewelry pieces. But if you treat your costume jewelry like fine jewelry, it will last a lot longer.
I’m not talking about fast fashion jewelry from Target, H&M or Forever 21. I’m talking about pieces that are made with semi-precious materials from metals to stones. These pieces can usually cost between $30 (on sale) to $500.
If you want to learn more about costume jewelry, check out my article [click HERE]. Let’s get into caring for these investment pieces. YES they are an investment even if it’s under $100. Why? If you take the time to find a piece of costume jewelry, examine the quality, make, construction, etc. it’s an investment.
How To Store Your Costume Jewelry
Over time, any sterling silver jewelry piece exposed to air will tarnish. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals. Silver tarnishes faster in areas with high humidity and air pollution. Chemicals like hairspray, perfume, deodorant, body lotion, bleach, etc., can speed up the tarnishing process. Also keep out of direct sunlight.
I like to store my jewelry in glass or lucite display boxes and cute porcelain dishes. Sometimes storing my jewelry this way can tarnish these pieces quicker due to dust and temperature. To avoid this I either put each piece in an air tight plastic bag with a piece of 3M tarnish paper [shop HERE]. OR I’ll put strips of 3M tarnish paper at the bottom of my trays and dishes, then put my jewelry on top.
If your pieces have pearls, don’t seal them in a bag with tarnish paper. This can make your pearls brittle. Keep them in a jewelry pouch or felt lined jewelry box [shop HERE].
How To Clean Your Costume Jewelry
A simple rinse in warm water and gently dry with a soft cloth does the trick. If your piece has gemstones, clean dry with a soft cloth. Avoid substances like chlorine, salt water, and commercial jewelry cleaners as they can damage the finish of your jewelry.
Put your jewelry on after you apply makeup, perfume, and hair spray. Remember to take off before you shower and go to bed.
Don’t use soft bristled brushes, toothpaste or baking soda to clean your costume jewelry. These are too abrasive.
Shop all costume jewelry cleaning products [click HERE]
I hope you enjoyed my savvy costume jewelry tips. If you have any, leave in the comments section. If you want more savvy, get it directly sent to your inbox by signing up below so you don’t miss out on posts, giveaways and member exclusives.