It is a Herculean task to get the right bridal jewellery and to take care of them after flaunting them for an entire day is another such task you need to be mindful about. Depending on the nature of the metal and the gemstones used in bridal jewellery, you need to decide the cleaning, storing and repairing methods you would use to maintain the lustre of your bridal jewellery. Even though it sounds tedious and difficult, you don’t have to worry. We are here to help you with the correct tips and the right methods of caring for each metal and gemstone on a bridal jewellery set.
Read ahead and follow these steps as we recommend, your bridal jewellery will last the longest!
Exposing gold and silver metal jewellery to the sunlight for prolonged periods can result in a loss of lustre. While metals like platinum don’t show this loss in lustre because of exposure to sunlight. So, based on the nature of the metal of your bridal jewellery, you should be careful with the time periods that they are exposed to sunlight. When metals like gold and silver get exposed to the sun, their surfaces tend to oxidize and that is what eventually appears as a loss in lustre.
Platinum has a very slow oxidization process, hence bridal jewellery in platinum doesn’t lose lustre as soon as gold and silver jewellery do. This can also be used as a good selection strategy while purchasing your bridal jewellery. Especially if your wedding is in summer on a beach or any other sunny location, then you should go for platinum jewellery. You can still select gold bridal jewellery, but you would just need to be a bit extra careful. And store them properly and maybe even polish them after the wedding is done to prolong the shine and sparkle of your bridal jewellery. The best way to store them is by keeping them in the same jewellery box that your jewellery packed them in. Those boxes are airtight and prevent dust and sunlight from reaching your precious bridal jewellery.
Just as storing your bridal jewellery is important, so is cleaning them carefully and properly to increase their longevity. For this, you should not use any chemicals as they might reach the gemstones or the metal and cause irreparable damage to your bridal jewellery. Instead of using any chemicals, go for simple lukewarm water and use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Post-washing them to dry them use a microfibre towel, for small pieces of jewellery like earrings and nose rings, you can also use the microfiber towels used to clean spectacles. We would advise you to buy a couple of new ones just for your bridal jewellery and not to use the ones that you use for your spectacles, but a similar size microfibre towel would do the job. Cleaning and drying them is a crucial step. There should be no water residue on your bridal jewellery or else they can damage your entire jewellery set. Also, after cleaning, make sure to store them in compartmentalized boxes that are specially used to store jewellery.
You would want to wear your bridal jewellery even after your wedding, on special occasions like your wedding anniversary party or even at someone close’s wedding. Of course, you would not wear the entire set, but you would choose to wear some of your favourite jewellery from your bridal jewellery set. But when you re-wear them you should keep in mind two things: one is to clean them after use, and the other is to wear them only after you are done with your make-up, and to remove them before you remove your make-up. We recommend this to avoid the transfer of your make-up products onto your bridal jewellery. Make-up products have chemicals in them, and if you get these chemicals on your bridal jewellery, they can harm the lustre and composition of your bridal jewellery. Moreover, while applying perfumes, please make sure you are not wearing your bridal jewellery. Perfumes have alcohol content in them and if it comes in direct contact with your jewellery then it would affect the lustre of your bridal jewellery. So you
need to be mindful of these facts while re-wearing your bridal jewellery in future. By keeping them away from chemicals in your make-up you will preserve them and their grandeur for longer and can also re-wear them for as long as you want and even pass them as heirloom bridal jewellery for your future generations.
Even if you clean your bridal jewellery regularly, you need to take them to your jeweller for regular maintenance and polishing of your bridal jewellery. Regardless of whether you're wearing your bridal jewellery or not wearing them, polishing becomes a necessity and should be done at least once in six months or twice a year. If any gemstone is damaged or removed or lost, taking it to your jeweller is the best and most reliable way to restore the lost gemstone(s). If you give regular attention to your bridal jewellery and its maintenance, then your bridal jewellery set will remain in its royal glory even after decades of your marriage. Rather, it would remain as a symbol of how strong your marriage has been over all the years of life.
Taking care of bridal jewellery is a necessary practice that you need to add to your monthly and yearly routine. The more you take care of them, the better they last. We hope these tips of wisdom in post-wedding bridal jewellery care would guide you in the process of preserving the pride and lustre in your precious bridal jewellery. If you have any queries, please reach out to us on Instagram and share your bridal jewellery shopping and post-wedding care experience. We are all ears and lending hands to help you whenever you need it!
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