No matter what kind of jewelry you enjoy wearing, it will require some kind of cleaning from time to time and Resin jewelry is no exception.
There are several great tips for keeping your jewelry looking its best for as long as possible. Today I am addressing resin, but in general, this information could be applied to most types of jewelry.
I love using resin because it’s so lightweight that you can wear it all day without it feeling too heavy and pulling on your ears!
Here is an example of one of my favorite styles that combines fresh herbs from my garden and an assortment of pressed and dried flowers.
Below is my advice on how to keep your pieces looking their very best….
Scratches
It is pretty resilient stuff, however, if you are wearing a resin piece day to day and it’s seeing a lot of action (rings are especially vulnerable) then scratches may start to build up and cause the piece to look a bit scuffed. Try to avoid bumping your jewelry, I strongly advise you not to sleep with it on or wear it whilst exercising, etc. Some scrapes can be solved with sanding, or another coat of resin – but it’s best avoided!
Heat & Water
This is very important, try to avoid extreme heat!
Ultimately, resin is a type of plastic and has a relatively low melting point, so it’s best not to leave it out in direct sunlight for long periods of time as this may lead to the resin softening/clouding or degrading. Some resin does not react well to UV rays, the type of resin that I use is UV stable, however, it’s just best practice to keep it looking its best. Also, UV rays over time are damaging to the natural color of flowers and leaves, another reason to keep it out of the direct sunlight when you are not wearing it.
Resin is water resistant, not waterproof – so taking it off whilst showering, washing up, swimming, etc. is advised. This point is especially important if the piece also contains metal (which most of my pieces do) as exposure will cause tarnishing (blackening/discoloration of the metal) to happen more quickly.
Chemicals
Watch out for particularly aggressive ones – acetone (nail varnish remover) is especially harmful to resin. It’s best also to avoid it coming into too much contact with hair spray, perfume (if alcohol based), cleaning solutions, anti-bacterial products…all these things can potentially cause the resin to become scaly, yellow, or break down.
Oils from your skin can also eventually start to ruin the surface of resin. It takes a long time to build up, but it can be removed by using mild dish soap and a damp microfiber, or silk cloth, which will polish your piece nicely. Dish soap is made to cut through grease, so applied with some warm water it can remove oils. It’s best to do this before storing your jewelry, to keep it looking new.
Tarnish
Most of my pieces are combined with sterling silver. Tarnishing is a process that happens naturally to metal over time, causing it to become duller and eventually blacken. It’s caused by exposure to water, oxygen and oils, but is easy enough to remove if you know how!
Ideally, you want to slow down how quickly your piece tarnishes in the first place though, so I recommend –
- Storing your jewelry in a sealed bag or box in a dry, dark, cool place. If it’s air-tight this is ideal.
- Removing jewelry when showering, swimming, sleeping, etc. Do not store it in the bathroom as it’s always damp!
- Removing whilst applying lotions, perfume, hairspray, etc.
- Cleaning metal parts of the jewelry (especially if they’re earrings) with a little soapy warm water after wearing to remove oils and dirt, then drying thoroughly before storing.
Here’s my favorite way to remove dirt and tarnish from jewelry, especially if they have awkward to get to parts:
Simply use a very soft toothbrush (one for young children is perfect), a little washing up liquid and warm (not hot) water and gently wash the piece. This will not damage the resin or stones, if there is any in the piece, but will rub away most, if not all the discoloration on your jewelry.