Hot Summer Activities Pose Hidden Risks to Fine Jewelry—How to Keep the Sparkle in Summer Fun!
Summer is here, along with wonderful plans for fun and frolicking. You will soon be headed for the pool, the beach, your lovely gardens, and barbecues and cookouts with friends and family.
"But summer is also the season when more diamonds and other fine gems and jewelry are lost or damaged than any other time of year," warns Antoinette Matlins, PG, gem and jewelry expert and author of several books, including Diamonds:The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide—How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Diamonds with Confidence and Knowledge and Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide—How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gems with Confidence and Knowledge. Matlins cautions that every summer people inadvertently damage or lose jewelry because they don't understand the hidden risks posed by many summer activities. Here are some tips offered by Matlins to help you avoid the risks this summer.
A Few Summertime Tips to Prevent Damage to, or Loss of, Fine Jewelry
1. Beware of chlorinated swimming pools.
Chlorine can damage or destroy many types of fine jewelry. It can dissolve the surface of beautiful beads; attack the alloy in precious metals; remove the polish from many stones, such as malachite or turquoise; and do many other destructive and irreversible things.
2. Don't wear rings in cold water.
The cold temperature of the water in pools, oceans, lakes and rivers causes your finger size to shrink temporarily. When this happens, rings become too large and, aided by the movement of your hands as you swim or play, can easily slip off the finger without your being aware of it.
3. Check mounting to make sure stones are secure in their settings.
Active sports are very popular in the summer. If a stone is loose in the setting, it may fall out during sports activities and break or become chipped or cracked.
4. Don't wear your fine jewelry while gardening.
Many fine gemstones have been lost or badly damaged while the wearer was gardening. Gold and platinum settings can be badly scratched or gouged by rocks and tools. Even a diamond can chip or crack when hit on a rock or tool, due to a fraction within the stone.
5. Is your watch waterproof or water resistant?
Many expensive watches are ruined when people do not understand the significant difference between "waterproof" and "water resistant." Do you know the difference?
For more information on the tips above and for more jewelry care and maintenance tips, check out books by Antoinette Matlins, PG:
Diamonds, 2nd Edition: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Diamonds with Confidence and Knowledge
Jewelry & Gems: The Buying Guide, 7th Edition, How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry with Confidence and Knowledge with Antonio C. Bonanno, FGA, ASA, MGA
Colored Gemstones, 3rd Edition: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide
How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gems with Confidence and Knowledge
The Pearl Book, 4th Edition, The Definitive Buying Guide How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Pearls