So you finally bought that piece you’ve been eyeing... congrats! You’ve already planned the perfect outfit (yes, we plan our outfits around jewelry over here), you know where you’ll be wearing it for the first time and you’re ready for the compliments to start streaming in. So what happens next?
What do we do when it’s time to say goodnight to our fabulous accessories? How do we ensure that they’re ready to greet us the next morning for another day out in the world? While the easiest solution is to toss them on the dresser and hope for the best (and believe me, I've a bad habit of doing just that), we love them more than that.
Here are a few simple tips to keep your accessories looking as incredible as you.
While beautiful, brass can be a little needy from time to time. It is a combination of pink copper and grey zinc. With exposure to air, brass will begin to oxidize over time. This will often create a beautiful patina effect. However, if you want to keep that matte gold look, there are a few steps you can take.
First and foremost, try to remember to remove your brass jewelry before cleaning, working out, or going in the pool. When you put your precious brass babies to sleep, tuck them into a jewelry box or pouch. If possible, store them in a low humidity environment (for example, they might not love living in the bathroom). Direct exposure to perfumes, chlorine and very humid air can increase the likelihood of your beautiful pieces tarnishing.
Let’s say you forgot everything in that last paragraph and you find a pair of brass earrings you forgot about and they’re looking a little sad. All hope is lost right? Nope! Let’s talk about how to get back into brass’ good graces.
There are many home remedies out there but my go to for sprucing up my tired brassy babes (sterling silver too) is good old fashioned baking soda. Sprinkle a little on a damp toothbrush and gently scrub (I’ve also used baking soda toothpaste). Finish up by wiping gently with a polishing or soft cloth and viola! Good as new! Bonus points if you periodically use a polishing cloth on your pieces even when they’re still looking fresh.
If the home remedy isn’t your bag, there are a lot of jewelry cleaning products out there as well.
If you made it this far, thank you! Your brass jewelry and I appreciate you!
Until next time,
Rosie @ Ring Farm Designs