Jewelry is Not Indestructible.

Jewelry is delicate by nature.  We’re talking about precious metals that have definite hardness and tolerances to bending & blows.  It’s not indestructible; metals scratch, abrade, move, and break. Precious metals used in jewelry also have sensitivities and reactions to abrasive liquids (like chlorine, household cleaners, and hand sanitizer.). Let’s just put it this way, you may love hot-tubbin’, but your gold definitely does not.

And prongs.  Dear, dear prongs.

They’re tiny!  Prongs, channels, bezels, and bars all cradle our diamonds and gemstones like champs, but there’s a limit to the abuse they can take.  Just like hearing that aunt who would never stop screaming at you to “get your fingers out of the cookie dough” (too close to home?), prongs and their cousins erode over time from daily wear.  And they need to be built back up again.

The way you wear your jewelry daily directly correlates to the expense of repairs.

Jewelry Care Tips: The Top 4 Things you Need To Know

Here are four times you need to take off your jewelry.  Every single time.

1. Sleeping:  The Sandman doesn’t care about your rocks.
   Hint:  Blanket fibers can pull back prongs.

2. Showering: your body wash does nothing for your diamonds.

   Hint: Moisture can get trapped under your rings and earrings, causing irritation.

3. Sports:  You may be able to bench press 100 lbs, but your ring cannot.
   Hint:  The impact from a barbell, hand weights, or even gripping your Peloton bars too tightly can loosen settings, crack stones, and bend your rings.

4. Swimming:  C is for Chlorine.  And it’s good for nobody.
   Hint: Household cleaners, chlorine, hand sanitizer, and related abrasives (even toothpaste) can cause microscratches, pitting in your gold, wearing away of rhodium plating for white gold, and even break down gold to cause cracking.