If you’re going to invest in high-value personal items, like luxury wristwatches, jewellery, and eyewear, then knowing how to care for them is essential. Just about everything that is built to last, from hardwood flooring to the internal combustion engine, is designed to be periodically cared for and maintained.

Knowing how best to do this, however, isn’t always easy. Let’s take a look at a few basic principles worth abiding by.

Understand the Materials of Your Precious Items

Precious items can be made from a variety of materials. These might be chosen for their intrinsic value, their aesthetic properties, or their performance under strain. A high-end wristwatch might be made from titanium or gold, for example, depending on its target market and its particular niche.

What matters is that you’re aware of the implications your chosen material has when it comes to cleaning. For example, silver items are vulnerable to tarnishing over time and thus should be periodically buffed but never cleaned with caustic substances.

Proper Cleaning Techniques for Jewellery and Watches

Whatever material you’ve chosen, there are a few basic cleaning principles that apply to every kind of metal jewellery. To begin with, you’ll want to control the amount of force you’re using. Heat and pressure can cause metal components to warp and even break entirely. When moisture is allowed to get into the delicate inner workings of a mechanical watch, it can become trapped there – and the results can be disastrous in the long run.

It’s easy to clean jewellery using dish soap, baking soda, and other cheap substances. However, it’s worth understanding exactly what’s appropriate for your chosen material.

Different gemstones might be particularly delicate. Pearls, which aren’t strictly gemstone, might break apart when submerged repeatedly. Diamond rings are obviously more robust, but they can lose their sparkle over time if they aren’t handled carefully and properly stored.

Storing Your Precious Items Safely

A good storage solution is one that prevents jewellery from rubbing against other items and against itself. Look for a velvet-lined case for best results. Make sure that the item in question is kept fixed in position within the case, especially if it’s going to be transported from place to place. For maximum security, you might seek to invest in a safe. Above all, don’t expose your valuables to extreme sunlight, temperatures, or water.

Handling and Wearing Tips to Minimise Wear and Tear

Some amount of wear and tear is unavoidable if you’re going to be wearing the same jewellery day in and day out. But you can still avoid much of the damage if you’re willing to remove your jewellery before participating in contact sports, swimming, or cleaning up with abrasive chemicals.

Remember that removing your ring is a risk in itself. Make sure that you have a secure container in which to keep the item in question and that you don’t lose it.

When to Seek Professional Cleaning and Maintenance

In some cases, the wear and tear suffered by a particular item can be extensive enough that professional attention is needed. In particular, you might involve a jeweller when a stone becomes loose on a ring or a wristwatch starts to lose time. The best approach, in most cases, is to intervene proactively. By treating your item to the occasional tune-up, you might prevent a problem from developing in the first place.

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