Everyone wants to keep their jewellery looking as fresh and fancy as the day it arrive on your doorstep. There are a few ways to make sure your vintage inspired accessories stay as treasured possessions for as long as possible. From stopping fakelite fade to preventing the dreaded de-lacquering I'm going to try and lend a hand with a little jewellery care 101. These are methods that myself and other Splendette babes have tried and tested, but we're always looking for more tips! Join our Facebook group to drop in and let us know what works for you.
Keeping them clean
One good thing to come out of this Coronavirus crisis is the reminder to clean all those things which we normally wouldn't think twice about doing. Before all this I probably cleaned my bangles once or twice a year, or maybe even just when I thought they needed a spruce up. Now I'm thinking a lot more about what I'm coming into contact with and then what I am bringing home as a result. Bangles, necklaces and earrings being included in that.
I have found that the best way to clean my bangles isn't with any harsh chemicals (I don't want to risk any damage to the fakelite) but with just a little bit of gentle soap (or shampoo!), warm water and a wash cloth. I give everything a quick wipe over with the damp cloth and then leave them to dry before buffing off any water spots with a dry cloth (glasses ones are amazing for this). I cleaned my make up brushes like this for years but it has translated well over to jewellery too.
Stop the fade
As Buddy Holly sang "you know my loving not fade away", no one wants the colour of their fakelite to fade. It's inevitable to an extent, especially if you are lucky enough to live where the sun shines a lot (insert joke about British weather here), but you can do your best to prevent extra fading by keeping your bangles, earrings and necklaces stored away safely out of sunlight.
The easiest way to keep the fade away is just to not keep them in direct sunlight. Yup. It's that simple. We love seeing everyone's bangle displays up in their bedrooms on one of our stands (we have two if you didn't know, the Atomic Bamboo Stand and the Revolving Acrylic one) but if you choose this way then make sure you don't store them near a window as it could risk one side of the bangle becoming faded. The safest way to keep them would be in a big box, like a hat box, or even better one of our Atomic Diamonds Cases. The Bangle Cases flew out of stock, and we're working on relaunching those, but there are still a few options available to improvise with.
Get unstuck
There are two substances that are the absolute pure nemeses of fakelite jewellery: hairspray and sunscreen. Once that devilish (but essential for other reasons) stuff touches a bangle, a bead or an earring then its game over and you're stuck with a sticky surface. If you catch it quick enough you should be able to wipe it off with a bit of soapy water (see above) without it doing too much damage, but let it linger and it can destroy the precious fakelite below.
I advise putting your earrings in absolutely last thing after finishing your fabulous vintage hairstyle. I know that I use a lot of hairspray when doing my hair (I layer that stuff up so my hair isn't moving for days!) and so I let it completely dry before putting earrings in. If I need to touch it up I'll take the jewellery out before re-spraying.
We can't advise too much on particular sunscreen brands to avoid as they can vary from country to country but a top tip is to test any new sunscreen on the inside of a bangle. Put a little dab onto your finger or onto a cotton bud and rub it carefully on the inside of a bangle. If you can see any damage then avoid that one. But, I know the importance of wearing sunscreen so wait at least half an hour between putting on your protection and slipping on any bangles or fastening a necklace. This way the cream will be well absorbed into your skin and any potential damage will be minimised. Some body lotions and moisturisers can also have the same effect.
