Jewelry and perfume both equally announce feminine elegance. While perfume helps us to build confidence, jewelry gives a finishing touch to our daily/occasional look.
Both are equally precious to us in a very different way. Therefore, it is important to know whether one (perfume) is damaging the other (jewelry).
To know about how perfume affects jewelry, continue reading.
Does Perfume Damage Jewelry?
Yes, perfume damages jewelry. Perfume contains essential oil, ethyl alcohol, and some color dyes in its molecular composition, which can damage the shine and original color of your expensive jewelry. Some pieces of jewelry are badly hampered and some of them just lose their shine.
With time, the glossy effect of your ornaments can be bland permanently. The perfume chemical reacts differently with the various jewelry materials.
So before any further discussion, let’s check out how the perfume affects different types of jewelry:
Can Perfume Damage Gold Jewelry?
Gold is known for its shine and glossy nature, the perfume oil and other chemical components slowly reduce the natural glow of gold. If you regularly apply perfume on your gold ornaments, it directly affects the outlook by discolorating your expensive item.
However, perfume doesn’t reduce the gold quality, it only hampers the appealing looks.
Gold itself is a highly delicate and malleable element. To build a strong structure, the manufacturer adds different types of adhesive to make a polished gold jewel.
Over time, the sharp molecular elements and alcohols of fragrances destroy the mixture, which breaks the shape of jewelry.
Does Perfume Affect Diamonds?
Perfume directly affects diamonds and other natural gemstones. The glaze that you get from your sparkling diamond can be easily taken away by the harsh molecules in fragrances. Usually, nothing can reduce the bright shine of diamond jewelry, but perfume can.
Diamonds are known as one of the strongest gems in the world. Surprisingly, the extremely hard gem is also damaged by a mild and soft element such as perfume.
As we know perfume contains alcohol & essential oils, and the residue of perfume can make your diamond jewelry tarnished.
If the perfume oil is not cleaned properly, it can reduce the glossy charm of diamonds and make them yellowish and pale. All these damages do not only make your diamond look ugly but also reduce its original value.
To keep your diamond shine as new, you should:
- Avoid wearing it everywhere. Wear your expensive diamond piece only on special occasions.
- Clean your diamond jewelry once a year by professionals.
- Avoid wearing the item until checked by a jeweler, if you find any damage.
Can Perfume Damage Pearls?
After gold and diamond, the next precious thing that we love to wear is the glowing pearls. The oil-concentrated perfume can damage the outlook of natural pearls and fade the gloss permanently. Unfortunately, fragrances affect pearls much more than other jewels.
Avoid using perfume over your pearl jewelry. Perfume and ornaments both are equally important whenever we are getting ready for any special event.
In this context, perfumer Christopher Brosius shares an interesting hack to use both gold and perfume at a time. You should take a 10-minute break and let the perfume dry before wearing any ornaments.
This will avoid strong reactions which may harm the pearls.
To keep your pearls clear and away from any kind of oil, wipe them with damp clothes and store them away in a zip-lock bag. Also, keep your pearls separated from any other jewelry. Gently wipe pearls after each wear to prevent deterioration.
How To Get The Perfume Smell Out Of Jewelry?
We girls love to wear different types of perfume depending on occasion and season. The multiple aroma also creates an unpleasant odor in your jewelry. Therefore, it is important to clean your jewelry to get rid of any oil residue.
Let’s take a look at how can you remove the odor of your ornaments:
- Take a bowl of warm water and mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda & four ounces of white vinegar in that water. Soak the jewelry in the mixture for 2 to 3 hours to get rid of the sticky smell.
- Another homemade cleaning solution is to squirt a lemon in a bowl of water and add some salt as well. Place the jewelry in the solution for 10 to 15 minutes. As always remember, do not use any homemade cleaning solution or dishwashing liquids to clean diamonds, pearls, or any natural gemstones.
- Using toothpaste is a good technique as well to remove any unwanted smell from the jewelry. Apply a few amounts of plain white paste over your jewelry and rub it with a soft toothbrush to clean the nooks and crannies. Wash the pendant and remove the extra paste.
- Apart from these home remedies, you can use jewelry cleaner to keep your ornaments shining.
Even if your perfume bottle breaks and the strong aroma spreads everywhere, these are the most effective and easiest ways to remove the smell from other household equipment.
Does Perfume Damage Artificial & Silver Jewelry?
Yes, even imitation and silver jewelry are damaged by perfume. Unfortunately, the silver ornaments are more swiftly damaged by the fragrances. The synthetic material in perfume is harmful to all kinds of jewelry, either real or fake.
People might think only real pieces of jewelry are affected by the essential oil of perfume, however, that is not the truth. Even natural fragrance oil and makeup equipment can damage artificial jewelry by making its appearance dull over time.
Thus, you have to be extra careful when you are applying perfume while wearing any type of jewelry.
Silver oxidizes faster than other metals that’s why the bright silver color turns metallic black within a few months if you don’t take good care of them. Perfumes instantly affect the silver and artificial jewelry if you directly spay over them.
Not only that, the perfume stain also damages your clothes and expensive gifts. So be careful, before applying perfume on jewelry and other valuable things.
What Other Elements Can Damage Jewelry?
Jewelries are the most expensive and dearest to every woman that they always cherish. If you wanna extend the shine and outlook of your necklaces, earrings, and bracelets it’s important to protect them from harmful elements.
Not only perfume but some other components can damage this beautiful elegance. So, we should take precautions and preserve our ornaments from the following elements.
Here is the list of items that can damage jewelry:
Water & Chlorine
Jewelry overly exposed to water & chlorine can cause discoloration and rusting. It will affect the appearance of the jewelry. Saltwater and sweat tarnish jewelry as well, which is why people are advised to avoid wearing jewelry while going for a swim.
Sun and Heat
Direct sunlight and UV rays can discolor jewelry and make it dull. Therefore, store jewelry in a cool and dry place.
Chemicals
As jewelries are made up of natural materials, it easily reacts with chemicals which causes discoloration and also deterioration. Keep the jewelry away when doing house cleaning and laundry as the detergent contains chemicals.
Physical Scratches
Jewelry can be damaged if you do not take it off while doing heavy work in the gym and other outdoor activities. It can also get scratched or become unstructured by force. It would be best to take it off while working and put it back on when the job is done.
Lack of maintenance
When jewelry is never taken to the jeweler to do professional cleaning, it daunts faster. With proper care and maintenance, you can slow down the damage process.
Improper storage
Jewelry can be spoiled if you store it in any congested space or box with other ornamental elements. Make sure all jewelry is stored separately in an ample space.
FAQs
Can perfume damage 18k gold?
Yes, continuous contact with chemical elements such as perfume, moisturizers, and deodorants can reduce the shine of 18k gold. However, it doesn’t have an immediate effect on 18k Gold Vermeil.
Does perfume corrode metal?
Perfume does not corrode gold or other metals instantly. However, the synthetic alloy of perfumes can reduce the shine and cause tarnishing.
What is tarnish-free jewelry?
Tarnish-free means that the jewelry won’t get discolored over time and keeps glowing after years. So, in this context, you can choose pure gold ornaments. Artificial elements fade more easily than the original gemstone.
Does perfume damage metal?
Perfumes always contain chemical compounds and alcohols, some of which directly reacts with metallic elements of gold & silver ornaments.
What is the best material for everyday jewelry?
Platinum- the most expensive metallic jewelry is best for everyday use. It has amazing durability and sustainability, which makes it perfect for casual or regular wear.
Conclusion
It should be clear after reading this article that perfume is jewelry’s one true enemy.
Whether it’s gold, diamond, pearl, or imitation, perfume can damage all of them.
But if you want to decorate yourself with both perfume and jewelry, don’t worry, just wait for 10 to 15 minutes before wearing your jewelry. Clean and store your jewelry properly after every use.
If you have any further queries, please feel free to ask them in the comment section, and I would be happy to answer them.
