Spring Cleaning for your Jewelry

Spring is here, and what better way to kick off the start to the new season than with a reevaluation of what we love most, our jewelry!?

Here are a few quick tips and tricks to safely clean your jewelry at home.

1. Reevaluate your jewelry. Simple and elegant is what we’re going for. No one loves clutter. This is the best time of year to take stock of what you have and put aside what you no longer love in order to make room for what you treasure. We recommend taking out your jewelry box and looking at each piece. Use Marie Kondo’s method to determine what stays and what you can graciously let go of. Simply ask yourself, “Does this bring me joy?”.

2. Spring cleaning. Silver and brass jewelry can be polished with a gentle polishing cloth to lift any natural tarnish. Most fine jewelry you can clean at home with warm soapy water and an old, soft bristled tooth brush to lift any dirt and bring out the shine. In fact, many jewelry stores will be happy to give your favorite piece a proper polish for free if you ask nicely ;-) (And while you’re there, remember to support your local jewelry store!). Something important to keep in mind; although you’d think pearls are a natural fit for water, in jewelry, the two do not mix. DO NOT MIX PEARLS AND WATER!

3. Repurpose your old gold and stones. Do you have jewelry that you want to love but just isn’t your style? Perhaps you’ve inherited a piece that is sentimental to you, but it’s not something you would ever dream of wearing. Instead of letting it sit in your jewelry box and collect dust (so sad!), why not consider remodeling your heirloom treasures into something you can enjoy everyday? If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, feel free to email me at Leah@Jewelleah.com, and we can discuss your options.

4. Adding in a few staples. Now that you’ve had a chance to take stock of what you love, it’s a perfect time to think about what pieces you would like to add to your collection. We recommend starting with a few basics, like our gold stud earrings and our dainty diamond bracelet!

And there you have it. A simple and pain-free (need we say joyful?!) way to spring clean your jewelry!

The struggle is real

Sometimes it feels that no matter how hard you try to move upward, you aren't making any traction.  

With the change in season, we're definitely enjoying the pleasantness of weather and a few more waves out in the sea. But as with any change, there can always be a natural resistance to moving forward.  

We believe that if you find yourself stuck on the inside, it's best to slow down, take a deep breath, and instead of fighting to push through, see if you can go with the flow as opposed to resisting. Often a shift in approach and perspective is all you need.  

So while learning to work with stiff, seemingly inflexible, metal, I'm reminded of what my jewelry professor said,  'Jewelry is a gentle art.' And I take a deep breath....