How to Care for Your Handmade Jewellery?

Handcrafted jewelry is more than just an accessory; it is a delicate, artistic expression created with care and intention. Proper care ensures its beauty and value last a lifetime. Whether you're new to artisan pieces or looking to improve your care routine, this blog post will focus on caring for your accessories, helping you understand how to maintain their art-like form. 

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At TJ Handcrafted, we manufacture every custom piece in-house at our casting house in Auckland — which means we understand exactly how each piece is built and what it needs to last. This guide is written from the perspective of working goldsmiths, not general retail advice. Whether your piece is 9K, 14K, or 18K gold, set with diamonds or soft gemstones, or finished in yellow, white, or rose gold, the principles below apply. Contact TJ Handcrafted →

Why Handmade Jewellery Needs Special Care

Every piece of handmade jewelry is unique, unlike machine-made chains, bracelets, and earrings. Each handcrafted item has a laborious and dedicated origin that expresses the artist's heart through it. Although they require a bit of extra care, fewer treatments and a lot more tender handling are necessary.

1. Sensitive Nature of Materials

The artistry requires painstakingly detailed soldering, beading, and delicate wire work, which can easily break with frequent rough handling. This also makes it delicate compared to machine-made pieces. The materials it utilizes—raw and semi-precious sterling silver, copper, brass, and gemstones—are highly at risk of tarnishing, damage, and harm from moisture, chemicals, and pollution exposure.

2. Delicacy of Construction Techniques

Housings, which make intricate designs easier to perform, and settings that work without external help are all vulnerable to wear and tear. This kind of construction makes it more malleable yet susceptible to scratches.

3. Invaluable Unique Designs 

Each piece is intricately crafted by hand, meaning each has unique details. Loss or damage to such pieces can be daunting and sometimes impossible. Preserving these ornaments can require individual aid to maintain their value from damage.

Daily Habits to Keep Your Jewellery Looking New  

Following a particular routine is one of the best ways to protect your handmade jewellery from wear and tear. Adding daily tasks for protection is a proactive step towards ensuring longevity. 

1. Take Off Jewellery Before Showering or Swimming  

Chlorinated or saltwater can tarnish metals, and water exposure can loosen adhesives. Hence, it’s best to remove jewellery pieces before swimming. This precaution ensures your jewellery remains intact.

2. Avoid Contact with Lotions and Perfumes  

Lotions and perfumes contain chemicals that can damage metals and stones. If you want to keep jewelry in perfect condition, leave it for the last time to wear after using lotions and perfumes.

3. Take Off Pieces Before Bed  

Sleeping with pieces on increases the risk of snagging, bending, and pressure. To prevent putting excess strain on them, store jewels overnight.

4. Rotate Pieces to Minimize Wear  

Wearing the same shiny piece daily can cause it to wear out and lose its sparkle. Rotate among different pieces to prevent straining any individual piece. 

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Cleaning Handmade Jewellery Without Damage  

Cleaning handmade jewelry should be done with utmost care, as improper methods can cause irreversible damage, no matter how much shine is maintained.

1. Soak in a Warm Soapy Bath

A soft, non-abrasive soap mixed in lukewarm water will clean your jewellery. Soak the item and wipe the top with a soft cloth. Do not soak porous gemstones such as turquoise or opals.

2. Soft Brushes for Intricate Areas

For fine details or parts underneath the settings, use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Be gentle to avoid scratches on softer pieces and the loss of stones.

3. Dry Thoroughly Before Storing

When cleaning, gently pat your handmade jewelry dry with a lint-free cloth. Be sure all moisture has evaporated before storing it to avoid tarnishing or mold.

Tips on Avoiding Tarnishing and Scratching  

Storage is the essence of keeping the shape and look of handmade jewelry. This is a guide on what you should do to keep your collection in a good state.

1. Proper Storage Boxes

Put each jewel in a soft pouch or box so that you cannot only keep it in order and not see the scratches, especially when it is placed next to other jewelry, but also easily find it. Fabric containers are perfect for protecting the surfaces of things that are more prone to damage.

2. Usage of Anti-Tarnish Materials

In your storage, use anti-tarnish strips that become saturated with moisture, and chemicals that oxidize metal jewellery.

3. Store in a Cool, Dry Place 

Keep handmade jewellery away from direct light and humidity. Drawers and cupboards are usually much safer than bathroom sills and windows. 

4. Avoid Plastic Bags 

Although plastic bags may seem helpful, they can trap moisture and release tarnishing chemicals. For long-term storage, avoiding them and using breathable materials is best. 

5. Hang Necklaces To Prevent Tangles

Fasten hooks to hold handmade necklaces to avoid knots. This is especially helpful for delicate pieces with thin chains or beading and those prone to tangling. 

Some Key Mistakes When Caring for Artisan Products 

Every piece of jewelry can become a family heirloom, but even with the best intentions, some actions can be extremely careless. Avoid these mistakes to keep each piece in pristine condition: 

1. Over-Cleaning or Using Harsh Chemicals

Harsh chemicals and extreme cleaning can break soft stones, corrode metals, or damage the softest stone finishes. A gentler approach is more effective. Clean only when needed. 

2. Not Addressing the Early Signs of Wear 

Ignoring loose clasps or overtly discolored metal will lead to small problems worsening. When left unattended, these minor issues will render a piece unusable.

3. Wearing During Physical Activity

Exercising, gardening, and even house chores can expose your jewelry to dirt, sweat, or impacts. Always take off artisan pieces before participating in any such activities.

Check out our guide can you wear gold plated jewelry everydays

Conclusion

Caring for your handmade jewelry is something different and requires a special and continuous effort. Not only the way you wear your jewelry, but also your storage habits, all contribute to saving the beauty and life of good artisanal pieces. Good care ensures that the jewelry will be kept in your collection for years and will look good.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is caring for handmade jewellery different from caring for machine-made pieces?

Handmade jewellery uses individually formed components — hand-pushed settings, hand-soldered joins, hand-fabricated chain links — meaning structural characteristics vary piece by piece rather than conforming to uniform tolerances. This makes professional inspection more valuable for handmade pieces than for machine-made equivalents: a goldsmith can identify and address individual weak points before they cause a failure. Cleaning principles are the same (mild soap, soft brush, thorough drying), but handling should be gentler and inspection frequency higher — annually for daily-wear handmade gold pieces. Book an inspection at TJ Handcrafted →

Can I use an ultrasonic cleaner on my handmade gold jewellery at home?

Home-grade ultrasonic cleaners are not recommended for handmade stone-set jewellery. The cavitation they produce is effective at removing residue, but the vibration can dislodge stones where a prong or bezel has any slight looseness — a risk that a professional jeweller avoids by checking stone security before cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaning also damages oil-treated emeralds, opals, pearls, coral, and fracture-filled stones. For plain solid gold handmade pieces with no stones, home ultrasonic cleaning is generally safe. TJ Handcrafted includes professional ultrasonic cleaning as part of our annual jewellery service. Book a service →

How should I store handmade jewellery in Auckland's humid climate?

Auckland's average relative humidity of 75–80% makes storage location and anti-tarnish measures more important than in drier climates. Store handmade gold jewellery in individual soft-lined compartments in a jewellery box kept in a bedroom wardrobe or drawer — away from the bathroom (80–95% RH post-shower), kitchen, and any area subject to steam. Place an anti-tarnish strip or silica gel packet inside the box and replace every six months. This is especially important for 9K gold (higher copper content) and sterling silver pieces, which are more reactive to humidity than 18K solid gold.

My handmade gold piece is leaving green marks on my skin. What does that mean?

Green marks are caused by copper oxide — a product of the copper present in all gold alloys below 24K reacting with moisture and skin chemistry. It is more noticeable from 9K gold (higher copper content) and from gold-plated or gold-filled pieces where the base metal has begun showing through the surface. In most cases, the marks are not a health concern and wash off with soap and water. If you purchased a piece as solid 9K or 18K gold and are experiencing persistent green marks, a free XRF test at our gold buyers location in Auckland will confirm the actual gold content of the piece.

When should I take my handmade jewellery to a professional for maintenance?

Seek professional assessment if you notice: a prong that catches on fabric or feels raised when touched; a clasp that opens more easily or resists opening more than usual; a visible gap or dark line at any solder join; a stone that shifts or rattles when touched gently; any significant dent, bend, or impact mark on the piece; or accidental exposure to bleach or pool chemicals. For handmade pieces worn daily, an annual professional inspection is a practical baseline — most issues caught at this stage are minor. Book at TJ Handcrafted in Auckland →