I am guilty of being very lazy with my jewelry. I frequently don’t wear it (what the heck am I waiting for??) And cleaning it is really not on my to-do list. But seriously, it’s time to care for your jewelry is not expensive or time-consuming. And it just looks and feels a lot better afterwards.
Like I said, I am generally a lazy person 🙂 But even I can see when something is getting dirty and worn out and needs some TLC. The issue of needing to care for my jewelry came up when I started wearing some of the things I inherited from my mom. She was a lovely woman, but she was very hard on things. And she didn’t always have the energy or resources to take the best care of her jewelry.
Some of her most frequently worn pieces need a once-over from a jeweler and a deep clean. She even warned me about the weakness of the clasp on a necklace and instructed me to get it checked out. Have I done that? No (see above: lazy!)
Find a good jeweler who does repairs
So just today, I did some research and found a reputable jeweler who does repairs. I’m heading there next weekend. I’m taking anything that feels anything less than solid. This includes rings where the prongs might be loose. A bracelet with a broken link. The clasp on Mom’s pretty pendant necklace. I know I would be heartbroken if I were to lose any of these things out of sheer laziness!
I am also long overdue for getting my pearls restrung. Kate and I both got pearls when our parents returned from a trip to Japan, probably over 40 years ago. How often have I restrung those pearls? Ummm, well, you can guess the answer to that!
My general solution when something needs repairs is to hide it away and not use it. But life is moving along- and I’d like to actually wear some of the nice things I have. So spending a bit of money and time to take care of your jewelry can allow you to enjoy your treasured items.
Cleaning most jewelry is easy
OK, caveats first. You can’t use this method for any “soft” stones like emeralds or opals. No pearls! Nothing that has glue in it. Or watches that aren’t safe at a very great depth (that is not my watch!)
But other than those items, ultrasonic cleaning does wonders for your jewelry. It’s truly amazing. You place a few items in the basket, pour in a bit of jewelry cleaner, fill with water. Push start and 3 minutes later, your jewelry is literally dazzling. It was a very satisfying experience! And once I learned that this is pretty much what jewelers do and charge you for- I realized that having a cleaner at home makes a lot of sense financially.
Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaning Detergent
This one is $40 on amazon, and while you can find them for $10-15 cheaper, the consensus seems to be that it’s worth spending a bit more for a machine that will work over the long haul. Very satisfied with this purchase! And the results speak for themselves. It worked particularly well on items that are intricate and hard to clean with soap and water- lots of nooks and crannies.
And get that watch battery replaced too
Final recommendation: replace that watch battery! I actually did this during the pandemic, when it felt like we were doing everything online and by mail. I did some research and found Watch Gnome. I am sure I could take it someplace to get it replaced- but frankly, Lazy Amy really loves just dropped things off at UPS. And having them returned, fixed, two weeks later! Price starts at $24. So convenient, I’ll never have an excuse to just put my dead watch in the drawer again!
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