We’ve heard few complaints about the cracking weather we’ve been having and long may it continue!

But as Britain enjoys temperatures of 35 degrees in some places (can you believe it!), these near tropical climes can also play havoc with jewellery.

In fact, whether you’re at home or abroad, it’s important to take extra special care of your jewellery in hot or humid conditions to prevent damage and discolouration.

Here are a few of our top tips for doing just that:

1.       Prevent chlorine cracking

Jumping into the pool to cool off might seem like a refreshing idea but if you take your jewellery with you the chlorine in the water could cause some serious damage. Stress caused by the chemical reaction that occurs when metal alloy comes into contact with chlorine can cause permanent damage and discolouration to gold and silver. Repeated exposure to chlorine can eventually cause gold jewellery to turn black / oxidise, develop hairline cracks and break. Chlorine can be especially damaging to pieces that use delicate pieces of precious metals.

flower necklace

2.       Take jewellery off at night time

Sleep is an important time for the body to relax and the same can be said for jewellery. In warm weather, night time can be uncomfortably muggy so it’s worth removing jewellery – especially pieces which are worn close to the body like rings – to allow your skin to breathe. In turn, moisture and acids in the skin can cause deposits to collect on the jewellery surface which will dampen its lustre.

Creel Ring

3.       Put jewellery on after perfume and sun lotion

Protecting your skin with a generous dollop of sun lotion is the sensible approach when sitting out in the sun. However, it’s important to wait until the lotion has been fully absorbed into the skin before putting on your jewellery. This is especially important for necklaces and other pieces that have a bigger surface area and more contact with the skin. The same applies to wearing perfume or, better still, avoid wearing jewellery in extremely warm weather altogether when lotions are less likely to stick to the skin and could discolour your jewellery instead.

Brodgar necklace

Discovered that your favourite piece of jewellery has become discoloured or tarnished? Visit our blog on how to clean your jewellery which could help restore shine and sparkle. The Sheila Fleet Jewellery workshop also offers a jewellery cleaning service for pieces which you may be struggling to restore yourself. Please call the team to find out more.