3 Reasons Why Polishing Can Be Bad For Jewelry

Jewelry tends to be a valued asset for most people who possess it. Most jewelry is expensive, which makes it highly precious. Most of them are made from precious metals with gemstones attached to them. It makes a valuable gift for any special occasion and will often have fond memories attached to it. Some families will even hand down jewelry from generation to generation, which will increase their value.

As you can see, jewelry is precious. So, it is in the interest of the jewelry owner to preserve it. They can do so in a variety of ways that include cleaning and polishing it. 

Polishing is a common way to preserve the shiny finish of jewelry and keep it nice and clean. For the most part, polishing is an effective method of jewelry preservation. Proper maintenance of jewelry can make sure that it lasts for centuries. However, to preserve their valued jewelry, many people can end up polishing jewelry in ways that can damage it. In all honesty, it’s hard to blame them. After all, who wouldn’t want to protect their valued belongings? In this article, we will discuss the three reasons why polishing can be bad for jewelry so you can avoid them.

1. It can weaken your jewelry

Polishing your jewelry too much can be detrimental to it. Yes, even if the polishing makes your jewelry look clean and shiny, it is still damaging it. You may be wondering how this is possible? This is because every time you polish it, you remove a bit of the metal off the surface. The metal removed is insignificant if you shine it now and then, but for someone who does it too much, the metal removed can add up. This erosion can cause your jewelry to wear down and reduce in size. This reduction can be especially prominent for small jewelry or etchings on the surface. In addition, it can make the edges of your jewelry uneven, which will take away from its beauty.

An excellent way to avoid this problem is to polish your jewelry less frequently and store it in a place where it will tarnish less. 

2. It can expose weaknesses

Polishing your jewelry too much can uncover weaknesses in its structure. These weaknesses can include pit and stress marks within its structure. In addition, it can cause any diamonds or gemstones embedded into it to become loose and eventually come out. This is a result of clasps or prongs getting loose. This is another issue that is caused by obsessive cleaning. A lot of people want their jewelry to be perfect without realizing that such an outcome is impossible. Dents and scratches will always appear on your jewelry, and obsessive polishing may eliminate it but cause other issues to come up.

3. Using jewelry polish alternatives

Another way that polishing jewelry can be bad for it is by using homemade polishing solutions. Such techniques are usually passed down from families and tend to be considered homemade tricks that are cheaper. If done right, these homemade solutions can be just as effective as jewelry polish. However, a lot of times, they can also be detrimental. A common technique is using toothpaste with a toothbrush to polish jewelry. This is because toothbrushes can easily scratch your jewelry due to their long handles. Another method is to use alcohol and ammonia, which is very risky. This is because these are harsh cleaning solutions that can dull your jewelry unless it is diluted sufficiently. 

To avoid these problems, you should use genuine jewelry polish that licensed jewelry stores provide. 

In conclusion

Polishing is an effective method of cleaning your jewelry. However, just as it can make it shiny, it can also damage it. This is usually through overpolishing or using detrimental techniques that can harm your jewelry. Therefore, one should avoid these techniques and realize that jewelry does not need to be cleaned obsessively. Additionally, we must keep in mind that we can’t have our jewelry looking perfect, no matter how much we try. By keeping the methods mentioned above in mind, you can avoid causing damage to your prized jewelry.