Whenever someone mentions monsoon, heartwarming memories like a rain shower, soft drizzling sounds,romance, greenery, muddy fragrance, chai-pakodas, and old melodies are all that come to the mind. After all, getting drenched in the rain or taking a little stroll under an umbrella with your loved ones tends to bring a warm and nostalgic smile to the face. The littlest of experiences seem magical in this season, as if the heavens are celebrating the existence of this planet with the hymn of rains. Monsoon is most people’s favourite season, and for all the right reasons.

However, while the aesthetics of monsoon remain unparalleled, the season might be bad for some of your valuable belongings—your jewellery, for instance. Each piece of your jewellery needs optimal protection and care for you to enjoy the privilege of its longevity and nothing, not even rains, should affect these in any way. As the age-old saying goes “Precaution is better than the cure”, here are some tips for you to ensure that your jewellery tides through the monsoon season and stays unaffectedly beautiful for as long as possible.

Keep moisture at bay

Moisture, in simple words, is the villain in the saga of your jewellery. And with moisture levels on its all-time high in the monsoon season, each ornament of yours may be susceptible to the effects of moisture in different, and often irreparable, ways. Therefore, you need to ensure maximum levels of protection for your jewellery from moisture and humidity, both when you wear it as well as when you store it. Avoid wearing jewellery when you are heading out in the rain and put them on once you have reached the destination. Further, clean your jewellery on a regular basis and store them well to avoid any damage and to retain their shine for a long, long time.

Different protection methods for different types of jewellery

Every piece of jewellery has different properties, owing to what it is made of. And those aspects make it prone to the effects of the monsoon season in varying ways. In order to protect and care for your jewellery in this season, you need to know the extent of the effect and possible solutions.

Diamonds: While diamonds are least prone to any damage, it has been observed how many people end up using such jewellery as an everyday wear. Because of such an exposure to moisture and dirt on a regular basis, diamond jewellery tends to lose their shine. To remove dirt and ensure that the shine does not get ruined, you should clean your jewellery either with soapy water or with a soft damped cloth.

Gold and platinum: Gold and platinum are considered as neutral metals and therefore, these do not need a lot of attention and care. However, a lot of exposure to dust and dirt, especially amidst a humid environment, may render these dirty and ruin them thus. Therefore, you need to ensure that you thoroughly clean these with warm soapy water to keep their lustre safe.

Silver: Because of its properties, silver is highly susceptible to oxidization and tarnishing, thereby turning black. And during monsoon, it becomes all the more prone to such corrosion. Therefore, you need to take extra care of your silver jewellery during this season. You can either use toothpaste or soft cotton cloth to clean it and avoid letting it get in contact with water. Moreover, you may also opt for a ‘silver dip’ to restore its shine and give it a new look.

Gemstones: Because of their organic nature and delicateness, gemstones like pearls, coral, amber etc. need utmost attention and care. For instance, coming in direct contact with perfumes and sprays especially in the monsoon season may result in irreparable damage. Moreover, this jewellery may develop scratches and nicks from the littlest of frictions. Therefore, you need to take precautions adequately to ensure that these remain in their original form for long.

Store them right

Since moisture ends up damaging your jewellery in several ways, it is important to store them in the most foolproof way possible. You may buy a hard-covered storage box with a soft interior, and keep silica gel pouches in these boxes to absorb excess moisture. You can also go for a box with separate compartments in it to ensure that your jewellery does not get broken or scratched because of any kind of friction. Alternatively, storing each piece of jewellery separately in multiple zip-lock bags would ensure both a vacuum environment as well as no friction. Most importantly, you need to ensure that you have dried each piece of your jewellery thoroughly before storing them.

While the best protection tip would be to avoid wearing delicate jewellery in the rainy season, these beautiful ornaments are often too irresistible and you cannot help but adorn them. Therefore, you should make sure you follow the above-mentioned tips and practices well in order to protect your jewellery from any such adverse possibilities and to keep them just as beautiful as ever!

(Naushaba Ara, Designer from Candere Team)