Jewelry faux pas can happen to even the most well-intentioned of us. It’s important to recognize the signs so you don’t accidentally offend someone or give someone the wrong idea. Some of the most typical jewelry blunders include the following:
1. Not Taking into Account the Jewelry Materials
When looking for jewelry, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting. If the vendor doesn’t say what the pieces are made of, you can assume they’re not sterling silver, gold, rose gold, or any other precious metal. Don’t buy anything expensive without first asking questions if you don’t understand something.
A piece of jewelry may look like gold or silver, but that has nothing to do with the metal it is actually constructed of. For example, if a jewelry item is cheap but looks like gold, it is probably not gold and is only plated. There is no such thing as affordable gold jewelry because gold is such a rare and valuable metal. Learn more about the history of gold and the many golds used in jewelry.
Jewelry made from base metals like brass or nickel may discolor your skin and wear out quickly. Nickel in particular is known to trigger severe allergic responses in some people, so we advise against wearing it. Jewelry with a thin plating may show the underlying metal quite fast.
You should also be aware of the origins of any gemstones you may come across, whether they be lab-grown, natural, or completely synthetic. In the right situations, any of these choices can be appropriate, but it’s important to be cognizant of how your hard-earned cash is being allocated.
It’s acceptable to wear cheap costume jewelry if the materials don’t bother your skin and you don’t mind the design going out of style quickly.
You should always remember that knowledge is strength. Learn more about gold and sterling silver, and find out why they’re so important in the jewelry industry, by reading our informative articles. Additionally, have a look at our jewelry glossary, which features over a hundred definitions for jewelry terminology and will ensure that you are fully versed in jewelry lingo for your next shopping trip.
2. Not Cleaning Your Everyday Jewelry
To begin with, the gradual nature of the process means that your everyday jewelry will gradually become dirty in ways you would not initially realize. It’s especially important to be careful when wearing stud earrings or gold chains because the back of your ear can trap dirt and bacteria from hair products and shampoo.
You should take off your usual jewelry and clean it with warm soapy water and a soft bristle brush on a regular basis. Do this once every two weeks at the absolute least. For further information on how to properly maintain your jewelry, please refer to the section below.
Make a plan to gradually fill in the gaps in your jewelry collection if you don’t already have very many pieces (including dropping big hints to loved ones at the right times of the year, of course).
3. Failure to Experiment With Accessories and Jewelry
Try to think outside the box when putting together an outfit for work or special events, and write down what works so you can easily recall it next time.
To further expand your wardrobe, jot down the types of items you wish you possessed. Buying jewelry and accessories that serve you well can provide you with a lot of options and wearability in your clothing. So next time just don’t go running to a necklace shop, know what you need first.
4. Disregarding Jewelry-Cleaning
It’s only natural that jewelry would get dirty from being worn against the skin and clothing for extended periods of time while engaging in a wide range of activities. Plan on cleaning your jewelry twice a year, minimum.
It’s ideal to do this throughout the season between warm and cold weather. This could take anything from a quick rinse with some dish soap to painstaking tarnish removal.
Learning the proper way to clean your jewelry is an investment worth making. You should definitely read our extensive jewelry cleaning & care guide, but if you’re in a rush, you may at least check out our 10 suggestions to rapidly clean jewelry.
5. Why the Cleaning Method Matters for Your Jewelry
Not all cleaning methods are created equal, and some may permanently damage your priceless items.
Silver and gold jewelry should never be cleaned with toothpaste. It’s abrasive, so it wears away at the metal over time, reducing the worth of heirloom pieces. In addition, it could cause irreparable harm to surfaces that are finished. Cleaning metal with a paste made of baking soda or bicarb should also be avoided.
This is an especially terrible notion when dealing with gold-like materials other than real gold. If you do this, the valuable gold coating on your jewelry will be stripped, making repairs tricky or perhaps impossible. To better comprehend this, it would assist to learn about the many forms of gold.
In the End..
Jewelry is a pretty important part of your outfit, so it’s important to make sure you’re doing it right. If you’re not careful, even the smallest faux pas could ruin an otherwise great look.