How to Wear and Care for Your Handmade Vintage Jewelry
Handmade Earrings Care: Every piece of vintage jewelry tells a unique story of a bygone era. Their beauty lies not just in their precious materials, but in the history and character they’ve gained over time. To ensure this legacy continues, proper care is essential.
At PeonyJewes, we’ve noticed that even seasoned collectors can unknowingly adopt habits that harm their treasured pieces. This guide will help you master the art of jewelry care, so your beloved pieces can remain as radiant as the day you first fell in love with them.
Handmade Earrings Care: Avoid These Common Jewelry Mistakes
1. Unnecessary Wear and Tear
The Habit: Letting jewelry “run free” in your bag. In a hurry, it’s easy to toss your earrings or rings into your purse. But your bag is a “jewelry battlefield” where keys, makeup, and other hard objects can easily scratch and damage your delicate items.
The Fix: Give your jewelry a “safe house.” Always carry a small jewelry pouch or soft cloth bag. When you need to take off your jewelry, place it in the bag or a small box. This simple step protects your pieces from scratches and dings.
The Habit: Touching jewelry with dirty hands. Oils and dirt from your hands can build up on the surface of your jewelry, dulling its shine and causing microscopic scratches over time.
The Fix: Keep your hands clean. Always wash your hands before handling your jewelry. Minimize direct contact with the surface and use a soft jewelry cloth for gentle wiping when needed.
The Habit: Using destructive methods to test authenticity. Scratching pearls or trying to mark jade can cause irreversible damage.
The Fix: Trust the professionals. If you have doubts about a piece, take it to a certified gemologist or a professional appraisal lab for a scientific evaluation.
2. Wearing Jewelry in the Wrong Situations
The Habit: Wearing jewelry during chores or manual labor. Activities like cleaning or moving can lead to bumps and scrapes, causing stones to loosen or fall out.
The Fix: Remove jewelry beforehand. Always take off your pieces before any physical work and store them in a safe place.
The Habit: Wearing jewelry while swimming, working out, or outdoors. Jewelry can slip off, get lost, or collide with hard surfaces during physical activity.
The Fix: Safely store jewelry before these activities.
3. Exposure to Cosmetics and Chemicals
The Habit: Spraying perfume or applying makeup with jewelry on. Chemicals in cosmetics and perfumes can harm metals and stones.
The Fix: Finish your routine first. Put on your jewelry as the final step of your getting-ready routine. Avoid direct contact with cosmetics.
The Habit: Wearing jewelry while bathing or doing laundry. Residues from soaps and detergents can get lodged in the crevices of your jewelry, causing corrosion or discoloration.
The Fix: Take it off before you wash.
4. Exposure to Extreme Temperatures
The Habit: Wearing jewelry in hot springs or saunas. Extreme heat can cause some stones to lose water, melt wax coatings, and corrode metals.
The Fix: Remove your jewelry beforehand.
Your Handmade Earrings Care Questions, Answered
A: Yes, it’s a must. Physical activities like cleaning or exercise can cause your jewelry to get bumped, snagged, or even lost. The chemicals in cleaning products and sweat can also corrode metals and dull stones. Always remove your jewelry and store it safely before these activities.
A: No. Soaps, shampoos, and detergents can leave a residue on your jewelry that gets trapped in the small crevices. Over time, this buildup can cause discoloration and damage. It’s best to remove your jewelry before washing.
A: Yes. The alcohol and other chemicals in perfumes, hairsprays, and lotions can be harsh on both metals and stones. Always apply your cosmetics and fragrances first, let them dry, and then put on your jewelry as the last step in your routine.
A: We never recommend using “home tests” like scratching pearls or trying to mark jade. These methods can cause irreversible damage. If you have any doubts about a piece, take it to a certified gemologist or a professional appraisal lab for an expert opinion.
Handmade Earrings Care:Care Tips by Material
- Precious Metals
- Generally easy to care for, but still prone to deformation, scratching, and chemical damage.
- Prong-set jewelry: Can snag on hair or clothing. If snagged, gently release and inspect prongs to prevent loosening.
- Pure Gold (24K): Very soft and can easily deform, causing stones to fall out. Consider K-gold settings or unmounted designs for more durability.
- Jade and Other Hard Stones
- Jadeite, Hetian jade, and agate are generally durable but still need protection from impacts.
- Thin pieces can crack easily; consider gold bezel settings for extra protection.
- Turquoise and Xiuyu jade need special care: avoid sweat, dirt, and impact.(Read our series of turquoise articles and gain professional insights.)
- Gemstones
- Faceted stones can chip easily due to sharp edges. Remember: hardness does not equal toughness.
- Fragile gems like emerald, opal, and phosphophyllite require extra care.
- Emeralds: Watch for surface cracks and avoid bumps.
- Opal: Sensitive to dryness and heat; avoid extreme environments.
- Phosphophyllite: Extremely delicate; best in earrings or necklaces, avoid rings.
- Organic Gems
- Includes amber, pearls, coral, ivory, and shells.
- Low in hardness, prone to corrosion and cracks.
- Tips: Avoid friction with harder stones or metals. Protect from sweat and acidic exposure. Avoid excessive dryness, direct sunlight, and strong winds. In dry climates, store in a sealed bag.
How to Wear, Store, and Clean Jewelry
Take It Off at the Right Time Remove jewelry before chores, sleeping, bathing, or exercising to reduce the risk of accidental damage.
Store It Correctly Give your jewelry a proper “home”—a jewelry box or pouch. For items prone to oxidation, like silver, consider a sealed bag.
Inspect Regularly Check for metal deformation, glue aging, or string wear in beaded pieces. Look for small cracks or chips in stones. Early detection can prevent major damage or loss.
Clean It the Right Way Use a soft jewelry cloth and, for a deeper clean, a soft brush with pure water. Avoid over-cleaning, and be aware that ultrasonic cleaners are not safe for all stones.
A Note from PeonyJewes
Jewelry is like a person—it can be strong and brilliant, yet delicate and in need of care. The timeless beauty of museum pieces is a testament not only to their materials but also to the meticulous handling of their owners. The true value of your jewelry lies in the attention and love you give it.
Explore our collection of handmade vintage earrings and share your favorite pieces with us! Visit PeonyJewes Handmade Vintage Earrings to browse the collection and join our community of jewelry lovers.
