Tips for taking your jewellery on holiday.
Why does tarnishing happen at all?
-Tarnishing primarily happens due to chemical reactions between metals and the environment.
-Metals like silver, copper, and brass are particularly susceptible to tarnishing because they react with sulphur compounds present in air and water to form sulphides, leading to discoloration and dullness over time.
-This is accelerated on holiday with humidity, intense heat and salt or chlorinated water.
How to prevent tarnishing and damage
-So, in order to prevent the above, try not to expose your jewellery to too much heat, humidity and sun cream.
-Wear your jewellery maybe less on the beach and round the swimming pool and more in the evening to go out. Also it is so easy to lose an earring or ring on the beach and in the sea and much harder to find it.
-Chains can get tangled up, which can lead to knots or broken links, and scratches and abrasions can happen from precious metals clinking together or sand, gravel or rocks scratching the otherwise smooth surfaces of metals and precious stones. Climbing up on rocks from the sea has on many occasions damaged my rings so watch out!!
How to pack your jewellery and keep it safe
-Consider a small travel jewellery case or jewellery roll to keep your pieces organised and protected. A case where each item has its own pocket will stop pieces tarnishing or scratching together or chains getting tangled up.
-Ideally keep your jewellery in your hand luggage to reduce the risk of things going missing and if you do want to put it into checked luggage, pack it in the centre of the case where it will be most protected. Avoid placing jewellery in outer pockets or compartments of your suitcase.
-When you’re not wearing your jewellery, store it in a safe place. This can be a hotel safe or a secure location in your luggage.
– If your jewellery is valuable, make sure it’s insured for travel and make a check list of the items you are taking and take photos. This way it will be much easier to make a claim in the event of its loss.
What jewellery to ultimately take on holiday
So what items are best to travel with?
-Try and avoid taking your most valuable pieces away with you. Losing expensive pieces while you’re supposed to be relaxing can be stressful.
-If you do decide to bring valuable jewellery with you, make sure it’s in good condition, no wobbly stones, stressed chain links or dodgy catches and it goes without saying, make sure it’s insured.
-Try and avoid taking items with delicate stones such as pearls, flourites, emeralds or opals and last but not least, if you’re travelling to a location with a high crime rate, consider leaving your most valuable jewellery at home. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
