With so much beautiful wholesale jewelry out there, it’s often easy to forget some of the inventory, and even lose it to the elements. Rust, tarnish, and other forms of decay are not to be taken lightly, if sellers hope to get the most profit for their efforts. Here are some methods that have been trusted by thousands of professionals in the business, to help preserve wholesale jewelry and its brilliant shine.
Jewelry comes in different forms, with the immediate thought turning to items such as diamond necklaces and pearl earrings. Even birthstone pendants are somewhere near the top of the list, but there are actually many other kinds of jewelry that exist on the market today, and not all of it is quite as high-end as the varieties made with precious gems and metals.
Because of wholesale jewelry’s sometimes fragile nature, it’s important to have some ideas about how to preserve and beautify the goods that are not being sold as quickly, in order to maximize returns on the initial capital outlay that was required to secure them in the first place.
Storing Wholesale Jewelry
One of the front-line defenses against jewelry losing its appeal after sitting in a warehouse for too long is to ensure proper storage.
Security is one consideration, since theft will make the entire process of maintaining jewelry rather pointless. Insurance against theft and damage would be a wise option for dealers who have put a lot into their investment, and additional security never hurts, either.
Pieces that are strung, like pearl necklaces and other kinds of strung jewelry, will benefit from being stored in a container that allows them to hang. Many of the more expensive pearls are strung onto silk threads, which can untie and lose their knots over time if they are simply piled up and left to sit. Also, many of the cheapest necklaces are also made with synthetic threads that don’t have the attention to detail that some jewelry has, which leads to similar problems as their high-end counterparts.
Maintenance is part of storage, and that means checking jewelry every six months for damage or loosening of stones and fixtures.
Cleaning Wholesale Jewelry
When it’s time to polish and shine jewelry that’s been sitting for a while, some basic truths also apply. Some of the home remedies for tarnished and scratched items will do little to help, and there are some methods that are favored by professionals.
An ammonia-free glass cleaner will do the job, and sturdier metals like gold can withstand being soaked in a solution of cleaner and water (1:1 ratio) overnight, if it’s absolutely necessary.
Pearls are a different story, since soaking them overnight will only encourage the threads they are strung onto to decay over time. Wiping them down with a cloth will suffice in most cases, and the same goes for plastic and acrylic beaded necklaces.
Some Myths to Avoid
Toothpaste, long considered the best home treatment for jewelry, is actually not a good idea. Many experts agree that the mild abrasives found in most toothpastes will only lead to creating microscopic scratches on the surface, leading to a loss of shine and luster over time. While the grit and grime may be removed, the entire process actually makes jewelry seem less clean after treatment, than before taking a scrub to the pieces.
Excessive polishing is not recommended either, as the treatment will remove a minute amount of metal from the surface every time, which could end up weakening and softening metals over time.
Ammonia and bleach are almost always disregarded by wholesale jewelry professionals in the industry as well, saying that the chemicals only lead to tarnish and discoloration with repeated treatments.