24-7 Wear and Jewelry Care Guide

24/7 wear jewelry refers to pieces of jewelry that are designed to be worn all day, every day. These are typically pieces that are made from durable materials, such as stainless steel, and are resistant to tarnishing or damage from everyday wear and tear.

Below you will find how to wear, care and store your beloved jewelry.

 

Stainless steel jewelry like this Celtic Knot Necklace is a metal that doesn't rust, tarnish, or scratch. It's also water-resistant because of the element Chromium, which creates a thin layer of oxide on the surface of the steel. Stainless steel like our Locking Clasp is hypoallergenic, so even those with sensitive skin can wear it. To clean, simply use mild soap and a soft cloth, and pat dry.

 

Anodized Aluminum is another metal that's safe to wear. It can be colored like this LGBTQ Necklace, or plain silver like this Helm Chainmaille Choker. It's hypoallergenic and lightweight, weighing 1/3 of sterling silver and most other metals. It doesn't rust or tarnish, but colored anodized rings may fade due to things like sulfur, detergents, chlorine, air pollution, household chemicals, cleaners. To prevent discoloration, store your jewelry in a Ziploc bag or soft fabric bag. Never use polishing creams or cloths on anodized rings because they may remove the color.

 

Rhodium-plated sterling silver is a durable metal that has a beautiful finish as you can see on this adorable kitten necklace Rhodium is very strong, protecting the sterling silver from wear and tear. It also has a high shine, making your jewelry stand out. Rhodium plating is not susceptible to tarnishing, so your jewelry will always look its best. Cleaning is best done with a dry polishing cloth. 

Sterling silver is a stable alloy of silver and copper. Pure silver doesn't tarnish, but it's brittle and can't be used for jewelry alone. Sterling silver without Rhodium like this O Ring collar has the beautiful raw silver look however, requires more care as it will tarnish much faster. 

When you wear sterling silver jewelry, the copper constantly oxidizes, causing discoloration. To prevent this, clean your jewelry as soon as you see the first signs of tarnish. The most common reasons for tarnishing are direct contact with oxygen, water, sulfur, detergents, chlorine, air pollution, atmosphere, household chemicals, cleaners, sweat.

Polishing cloths are an easy and efficient way to remove tarnish from silver. A microfiber silver polishing cloth is the least expensive method of cleaning silver and is available at most jewelry stores. To use it, simply rub the cloth on the surface of your silver jewelry to remove the layer of tarnish. You will notice a black residue on the cloth; this is the tarnish you just removed from the silver. This method works well if you maintain your silver but can be hard work if you have heavily tarnished silver.

 Another method is to use chemical cleaners. This involves applying a paste or putting the silver into a liquid. The drawback is that it's a little more expensive than using a polishing cloth and the chemicals can have harsh smells. Also, make sure to keep any cleaners safely away from children and pets.

The presence of moisture in the air will accelerate tarnish. Silver will not tarnish in dry air, which is why it's recommended to store your silver in an airtight bag when not wearing it.

Gold and rose gold plated steel is vacuum plated to last up to 15 months with daily wear. When the plating wears off you will still have wearable stainless steel jewelry. To clean, simply use mild soap and a soft cloth, and pat dry.

Beaded bracelets like this Morse Code Set are not a friend to all day wear, keep them dry, take off for showers, workouts, swimming, cleaning, and away from lotions, soaps. Be gentle taking them on and off to avoid extra stretching.