Jewellery is a form of art that allows you to showcase your individuality and style every day or on special occasions. However, as with any fashion element, we can get it wrong even without realising it.
Whether in the buying process, maintenance habits, or wearing routine, certain common mistakes we tend to make regularly impact the longevity and allure of our precious pieces.
During its years of experience, The Luxury Hut has seen all kinds of jewellery mistakes and intends to help you sort them out. So, here’s the list of the top jewellery mistakes you wish you’d stop making immediately!
11 Common Jewellery Mistakes You Should Avoid
- Limited Understanding of the Material
Always check what materials your jewellery piece is made from before buying. The seller must disclose the composition when you’re shopping, particularly for high-value items.
Beware of imitations. For example, if something looks like gold but is surprisingly inexpensive, it’s probably not gold at all, rather thinly plated or made from alternative materials. Similarly, silver pieces are much less expensive than gold, but if they’re too cheap, that’s a red flag.
Avoid base metals like nickel or brass, which tarnish over time and may cause skin discolouration or trigger allergies. Additionally, thinly plated jewellery can erode, revealing the underlying metal if you buy stone jewellery. Knowing the nature of stones, whether natural, synthetic, or lab-grown, is crucial.
All in all, the main thing is you should always be transparent about where your money goes.
- Sticking to the Same Jewellery Everyday
We all are guilty of doing this—wearing the same pieces every day for a prolonged period isn’t good. This is because grime builds up, especially on hidden parts like the backs of stud earrings, which you rarely take off. These tend to collect residue from hair washing or daily wear, leading to infection.
Also, wearing the same jewellery with possibly anything and everything screams boring! We understand it’s easy to not spend time thinking about what to wear on a regular basis, but start rotating your jewellery more often to add variety.
- Not experimenting with jewellery styling
Jewellery is one of the easiest ways to add dimension to your look. Even the smallest accessory can make a tired outfit stand out. But we often stick to the usual norms and stop being creative with jewellery styling.
Start having fun with different combinations. Layering, mixing sizes and metals, or trying out bolder, chunkier designs can make all the difference. An easy way to do this is using a mirror to try on different combinations with different outfits.
- Not Cleaning Your Jewellery
Many people forget to clean their jewellery. Would you wear dirty clothing without washing it? So, why ignore your jewellery, which is exposed to sweat, skin oils, and cosmetics daily?
Cleaning jewellery will help it sparkle and also extend its life. It’s highly recommended to clean your jewellery at least once or twice every year or more to ensure longevity. And, of course, the pieces you wear should be cleaned more frequently.
- Using Incorrect Cleaning Techniques
Considering you’re all geared up to incorporate jewellery cleaning into your routine, how do you do it the right way?
Using lemon juice, toothpaste, bicarb soda, vinegar, and other harsh chemicals can cause permanent damage to your jewellery. Also, never clean your pearls or opals with alcohol. While these are all ‘simple tricks’ to clean the jewellery you come across over the internet, that doesn’t mean you should put them to use.
Avoid cleaning hacks unless they come from a reliable source. If you’re cleaning at home, stick to lukewarm water, gentle soap, and soft-bristled brushes, or consider professional help.
- Wearing Jewellery while Swimming or Showering
Most of us tend to leave jewellery on in the shower, posing long-term damage to our beloved pieces. Soap, shampoo, hard water, and chlorine can damage metals and gemstones over time. Even excessive exposure to tap water is a problem, especially with gold and silver jewellery. And, if not that, you always risk losing a precious piece down the drain.
Not taking off your jewellery before swimming is even more problematic because saltwater and chlorine pools cause pitting in gold, discoloured stones, damage to silver alloys, and eroded solder joints. Saltwater can even dull diamonds. This doubles if the jewellery includes opals or pearls.
- Neglecting Proper Jewellery Storage
Do you know those jewellery tree storage places where you hang your pieces? They look beautiful, but they’re also a disaster! Leaving your jewellery free-flowing in the air is terrible, especially for precious metals. It will eventually tarnish while gathering dust and grime from the air. This way, you must clean your jewellery much more often, or it will cause damage that is difficult to repair.
Next, we often forget our jewellery in humid places like bathrooms. Humidity makes it tarnish. It’s recommended to store your jewellery in a well-designed, airtight box or soft pouches. To maintain the longevity of your pieces, store your jewellery in a well-designed, airtight box or soft pouches. You can even store them in small, padded boxes.
- Allowing your Chains to get Tangled
Tangled chains and necklaces are a pain—we get it. But keeping them in knots is even more dangerous, as it can cause damage, making it potentially difficult to wear and eventually causing the links to break or deform. When tangled chains are stored together, they can rub against each other, causing scratches or snags on the links—let alone the frustration of dettangling them!
A pro tip to avoid such situations is to clasp your chains when you take them off. While it won’t completely prevent the problem, it will certainly help a lot, especially if you keep your chains jumbled in a box.
Another way is to thread necklaces through straws or other tubing solutions to keep them separate in storage. If the necklace does get tangled, you can lay it down on a flat surface and use two pins to gently tease the knot.
- Wearing an Unflattering Necklace Length
Stop wearing the same old necklace with every outfit you own. Consider the different lengths available and find out what works best to enhance your overall look. You don’t always have to reach for the same pendant. Instead, think about different necklace lengths and try mismatching different styles to make an impressive difference.
Keeping a variety of necklace lengths and styles in your collection is a game-changer. For versatility, you can also pick up a necklace extender. Mixing up accessories adds style and interest to your outfit and wardrobe.
- Purchasing Incorrect Ring Size
Don’t ever guess your ring size! Incorrect sizing means frustrations, delays and extra costs. While it may take some time to determine your correct ring size, especially when buying online, once you know, you can shop for rings confidently.
Visit a professional jeweller for accurate ring size measurements. He same applies to bracelets. Too big or too small bracelets may lead to discomfort or frequent adjustments. But its better if you get them measured professionally.
- Making Unplanned Purchases
Impulsive jewellery purchases without proper research can lead to dissatisfaction and regrets later on. Imagine buying jewellery just for the ‘trend’ sake, and it ends up sitting in the corner of your jewellery box. Therefore, take the time to research the type of jewellery you want, including the materials, designs, and brands. Understand factors like diamond or gemstone quality and metal composition to make an informed decision.
You can also consider buying pre-owned diamond jewellery or any other secondhand jewellery item if you wish to buy items from renowned brands at a fraction of the cost. The pre-owned jewellery market is overflowing with options. Consider exploring it to find some of the best styles.
In Conclusion..
Jewellery is a beautiful way to express who you are without having to say a word. But taking care of it is just as important as choosing the right piece. Whether you buy new or pre-owned jewellery, by avoiding these common jewellery mistakes above, you’ll not only prolong the life of your precious belongings but also ensure they retain the same allure as they did at the time of purchase.
So, take the time to treat your jewellery with the attention it deserves and enjoy it for years to come. Here’s to wearing your jewellery with confidence in the best possible way!
