Prolong the Life of Your Jewelry

Remember when your husband proposed and slipped that shiny new diamond ring on your finger? Or perhaps you're sporting Grandma's heirloom? Is that ring now dull, lifeless, and less than brilliant? Daily use of your hands and the constant hand washing in these germaphobe times will suck the shine right out of your baubles. Try removing your rings whenever possible before showering, hand washing, styling your hair, moisturizing...AND for Godsakes, remove them before anything that remotely resembles cleaning a toilet!

The best way to recapture that new car smell? Make a pit stop at one of the many jewelry stores in your local mall. Jewelry stores are one of the last retail establishments that actually perform stellar customer service. Ask them if they'll clean your rings while you wait...this should cost nothing. Most mall jewelry stores, in my experience, will offer this service for free, and takes about 5 minutes. If you ask and they won't, move on to the next jewelry store and mention that the previous store wouldn't accommodate your needs; they will be happy to "one up" their competition! Become a regular at your local jewelry store...you don't have to purchase the expensive items they have on display. Simply bring in that necklace to repair the clasp; have that watch battery replaced, and THEN, one day when you've got a few extra bucks to invest in a gem, they'll more than likely give you a great deal! If you've got cute, well behaved kids, bring them in too! They make a great topic of conversation...hey, you birthed 'em! Use 'em!

Good luck!