How to Care for Heirloom Jewelry (So It Actually Lasts)

Most jewelry doesn't stop looking good because it was badly made. It stops looking good because it went in the shower, sat in a damp drawer, or got sprayed with perfume every morning for a year.

The difference between a piece you wear for one season and a piece you keep is almost entirely habit. Here's what actually matters.

The one rule that matters most

Last on, first off.

Jewelry goes on after perfume, hairspray, sunscreen, and lotion — and comes off before the shower, the pool, the gym, and bed. That single habit prevents most of the damage jewelry ever suffers. Alcohols and oils in beauty products are what dull plating and cloud pearls, and they do it gradually enough that you don't notice until it's done.

Pearls: the most delicate thing you own

Real and cultured pearls are porous. They absorb what touches them, which is why perfume is genuinely the enemy — not a myth.

• Wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth after each wear. That's it — that's the whole routine.
• Never use jewelry dip, ultrasonic cleaners, or anything containing ammonia or alcohol.
• Store flat and separate, not hanging — hanging stretches the thread over time.
• Store somewhere with a little air. Sealed plastic bags dry pearls out.

Applies to: The Vivienne Pearl Earrings, The Papillon Pearl Necklace, The Éloïse Pearl-Bow Earrings.

Sterling silver: it tarnishes, and that's normal

Silver darkens when it meets air and sulphur. It isn't damage and it isn't a defect — it's chemistry, and it reverses.

• Polish with a dry silver cloth. Small circles, light pressure.
• Store in a closed box or pouch with an anti-tarnish strip if you have one — less air, less tarnish.
• Wearing silver regularly actually keeps it brighter than storing it away. The friction of daily wear polishes it.
• Skip toothpaste and baking soda. Both are abrasive enough to scratch the surface permanently.

Applies to: The Delphine Solitaire, The Margaux Bow Ring.

Plated pieces: the plating is a layer, treat it like one

Rose gold and gold-tone plating is a thin coating over a base metal. It can't be polished aggressively, because polishing removes it.

• Wipe gently with a dry soft cloth only. No polishing compounds, no scrubbing.
• Keep away from chlorine, saltwater, and cleaning products.
• Take rings off before washing hands repeatedly — water plus friction is what wears plating at the band first.

Applies to: The Amélie Rose Set, The Béatrice Bow Headband.

Fabric bows and hair pieces

• Spot-clean only — a barely damp cloth, then air dry fully before storing.
• Never machine wash. The shape is set into the fabric and washing destroys it.
• Store flat or loosely, not crushed under other things, so the loops keep their form.
• If a bow flattens, a moment of low steam from a kettle held at a distance will usually lift it back.

Applies to: The Colette Bow Clip.

Storage: the boring part that matters most

Most jewelry damage happens in a drawer, not on a body. Pieces scratch each other, chains tangle and kink, and humidity does the rest.

• Give each piece its own compartment, pouch, or the box it arrived in.
• Fasten clasps before putting necklaces away — a closed chain can't tangle with itself.
• Keep everything out of the bathroom. Steam is the single worst storage condition there is.

A quick reference

• Pearls — damp cloth after wear, store flat, no chemicals ever
• Sterling silver — dry polish cloth, closed storage, wear it often
• Plated — dry cloth only, no polishing, keep dry
• Fabric bows — spot clean, air dry, store uncrushed
• Everything — last on, first off

None of this takes more than a few seconds at a time. It's the difference between jewelry you replace and jewelry you keep.

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