Who doesn't love owning a closet full of beautiful costume jewelry! But keeping artificial jewelry rust and tarnish-free is tricky. Here's a guide on how to protect them.

No matter how many vintage-looking, absolutely gorgeous silver-alike jhumkas and chokers I collect from thrift shops every year, by the second year, it would collect dust and turn all murky black.

After several years of trial and error experiments, here's what works to keep my junk jewelry free of tarnish and rust. Even if they turn a tad bit black, you can always use any of the cleaning hacks to make them look new again.

Transparent Acrylic Spray

If your jewelry has a metallic polish on top, it is best to protect the outer layer with a transparent acrylic spray. This one-time investment would ensure that the outer coating of the metal polish of your gorgeous jewels shines for a long time.

Transparent nail paints

Instead of a transparent acrylic spray, you can also try coating the metallic hoops and rings with transparent nail paint. It would protect the outer layer to not flake off easily.

Silica Gel Pouch

Instead of throwing away those silica gel pouches that we get with shoes and new bags, keep them in your junk jewelry box. Silica gel packs absorb the moisture and keep your beautiful trinkets tarnish-free.

Ziplock bags

While traveling or carrying a few extra pieces of jewelry in your bag, make sure to keep them in an airtight ziplock bag. Sometimes, we keep the jewelry in an open place for too long and let it get all rusty. Best to keep them stored in an airtight container instead.

Drying the jewelry before putting back

When we are out and about, we can't help but expose our jewelry to sweat and dust. Once you return and remove all of your jewelry, keep them in a dry towel and let it soak all the moisture before putting it back.

Cleaning hacks

Cleaning artificial jewelry can be risky as it may cause discoloration or the outer layer may peel off. Here are a few tested and tried ways to clean them without damaging the outer coating.

1. For metal pieces, soak them in water with baking soda and salt.
2. For oxidized jewelry, use ketchup and toothpaste. Use a toothbrush to clean them before rinsing with water.

Opt for readymade cleaning solutions available for costume jewelry in the market if this DYI cleaning hack seems like a daunting task.