How to Keep Fashion Jewellery Looking New (Storage, Sweat and Perfume)

Fashion jewellery gets a reputation for not lasting, and most of the time that is not the jewellery, it is the drawer it lives in. In a coastal climate like ours, humidity and sweat do more damage than wear. Three habits fix most of it.

1. Put it on last, take it off first

Perfume, deodorant, hairspray, sunscreen and moisturiser all leave a film on metal and stones. The film dulls the finish and traps sweat against it. So: get dressed, do hair and makeup, spray perfume, wait a minute, then put on jewellery. At night, jewellery comes off before you wash your face.

2. Wipe before you store

A soft, dry cloth (an old cotton T-shirt is perfect) for ten seconds after every wear. No water, no cleaning liquid, no toothbrush. This one step removes the sweat and product that cause most dulling. If a piece has stones, wipe around them, not across them.

3. Keep pieces from touching each other

Chains scratch stones. Stones chip enamel. Everything tangles with everything. The fix is giving each piece its own slot, and this is exactly what a jewellery organiser is for. A box with ring rolls and earring holes like the Tan Zip-Around Travel Jewellery Box (₹419) keeps a week's worth of pieces separated. For a bigger collection, the Rose Gold Mirrored Two-Tier Jewellery Box has a lift-out tray and a mirror in the lid.

Humidity is the real enemy

In Kerala the air itself is damp for half the year. Store jewellery in a closed box, not an open dish, and keep the box out of the bathroom. Dropping one silica gel sachet (the kind that comes with shoes and bags) into the box makes a real difference. Replace it every couple of months.

Necklaces: hang or clasp

Fasten the clasp before you store a necklace so it cannot loop through itself. Lay it flat in its own compartment, or hang it. Never drop several chains into one pouch together unless you enjoy untangling.

Travelling

A small zip case does two jobs: it stops pieces knocking together in a bag, and it stops you losing an earring in a hotel room. The Mini Travel Jewelry Case (₹129) and the Mini Zip Jewellery Box (₹149) each hold two or three pairs of earrings, a couple of rings and a chain, which is enough for a weekend.

What to do if a piece dulls anyway

Wipe it with a dry cloth first. If that does not bring it back, a cloth very slightly damp with plain water, then dry immediately. Do not soak, do not use lemon, vinegar, toothpaste or silver dip on fashion jewellery; those strip the finish.

Swimming, gym, sleeping

Take it off for all three. Chlorine and salt water are the fastest way to ruin any plated finish, sweat during a workout does the same more slowly, and sleeping in chains bends them.

Boxes, cases and pouches from ₹129 are in the Jewellery Organisers collection. Buy one with your first order and the pieces last twice as long.