Something that many people look forward to is having family heirlooms passed down to them from previous generations. Especially if your grandparent in their assisted living facility has some beautiful pieces that you’d love to wear and have to remember them by, it can be incredibly exciting when they hand them down to you. And if they’ve been in your family for generations, this can make the experience even more special.
Once you have these family heirlooms in your possession, you’ll want to make sure you take great care of them so that you can continue with the tradition. To help you in doing this, here are three tips for preserving jewelry for future generations.
Learn About The Materials
As soon as you’re given a family heirloom or piece of jewelry that you want to make sure you preserve well, you’ll first want to learn about the materials that make up this piece. Only when you know this information can you take the proper steps in caring for this item, as different materials require different types of care.
For example, some items should never be kept in direct sunlight while others are a bit more hearty and can handle some harder handling. Additionally, if the jewelry is made of gold or silver, you’ll need to care for it a bit differently to ensure that it will stand the test of time and your personal wear.
Create Removal Habits
Once you know what your jewelry is made of and what you should or shouldn’t do when you’re wearing it, you’ll want to create some habits around its removal after you’re done wearing it so that it stays in great condition.
Depending on what kind of jewelry it is, exactly what you’ll want to do will vary. But in most cases, it’s best to keep items in their own areas after wearing them so that they don’t scratch other pieces or get tangled up with anything else. Hanging items like necklaces and dangling earrings is ideal, while keeping pieces like rings and brooches in their own pouch should be your new habit.
Regularly Clean Your Jewelry
Even if you’re trying your best to be gentle when you’re wearing the jewelry and keeping it clean while it’s on your body, you still need to make sure that you’re giving your jewelry a real cleaning on a regular basis.
While you can do this kind of cleaning on your own, it might be best to trust a professional to do this type of cleaning, as using the wrong cleaning agent could cause harm and damage to your jewelry that can be difficult to reverse.
If you want to care for your jewelry so that you can eventually pass it on to future generations, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this.
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