Care of Beaded Jewelry

A good tip that is easy to remember in caring for and storing your handmade jewellery is to remove your jewellery before swimming or bathing as water will weaken the stringing material and cause it to deterioate and the beaded jewellery will start to break apart or sag. Soap and chemicals such as hair spray and perfume can damage beads and crystals. Try not to play sports or do household or outdoor chores while wearing your beaded jewellery

Pearls should never be exposed to harsh abrasive substances as they will become scratched and chipped and lose their beautiful lustre. Gently wipe your pearls with a soft slightly damp cloth, checking for fraying or stretching of the stringing material. Handmade crystal jewellery and handmade gemstone jewellery can be dusted with a soft lint free cloth or by spraying a wisp of window cleaner on a lint free cloth and gently wiping the beads making sure not to get the stringing material wet.

Sterling silver clasps can become tarnished. Tarnished silver looks great on vintage style pieces but if you prefer the look of shiny new silver try cleaning your silver clasps with a silver polish to remove the tarnish carefully avoiding any crystals or gemstones on the piece.

Your beaded jewelry should be carefully stored. Store each piece separately in a cloth pouch or lay flat in your jewellery box so that pieces don’t become tangled together. Unnecessary twisting can cause beaded jewellery to stretch, break or lose its shape.

Feel free to enjoy wearing your handmade beaded jewellery but take care in handling and storage so that your treasured items will last for many years.