Q: When should I avoid wearing my jewelry in the summer?
A: It’s important to avoid wearing jewelry in any sticky or sweaty situation with excessive moisture. Sorry Southern gals but if you're going to spend a lot of time outside in the humid days of summer (at a festival, outdoor concert, the beach, etc.) it's probably better to leave your Freshie & Zero necklace at home. BUT you can wear your Freshie & Zero earrings on a hot summer day instead!
Q: Should I exercise in my jewelry?
A: It is not recommended to exercise in your handmade jewelry, as it can cause unnecessary stress on the piece, and the salt from sweating does not react well with the metals.
Q: Can I swim in my jewelry?
A: I definitely do not recommend wearing jewelry in a treated swimming environment (unlike a natural environment like a lake or ocean). I learned this by mistake - I was wearing a silver necklace and got in a hot tub and it's never been the same since. Any sort of pool or hot tub has chemicals that the jewelry does not like, so play it safe and take them off before swimming.
A: In the summer, sunscreen is the big one to avoid when safeguarding your jewelry. Although the chemicals in Sunscreen protect your skin from serious harm, the same cannot be said about its effect on your jewelry. You should also avoid hairspray, lotion, and perfume as they have a damaging effect.
Q: Whoops! I got hairspray on my jewelry! How should I clean it?
A: If your pieces get "dirty" with sweat, sunscreen, hairspray, etc - make sure to wash your jewelry as soon as you can with mild soap and water (and rinse and dry well) to get the offending elements off of your jewelry.
A: Luckily sterling silver is super easy to clean! Special jewelry cleaning cloths will do the trick but they can take a lot of time & elbow grease so I prefer an actual liquid cleaner. You can pick up silver jewelry cleaner at any CVS/Walgreens/Bed Bath & Beyond type store and simply dip, rinse well, and dry! Just make sure you don't dip any of the stones or pearls in the cleaner - it will dissolve their luster. Even easier than that is cleaning them with toothpaste and a toothbrush (that you no longer use, of course!). Clean, rinse, and dry!
If you can boil it down to one fundamental rule of jewelry care - avoid all things moisture as much as possible to ensure your jewelry stays as pristine as possible!