‘Honestly, it’s life changing’ is a regular series where we talk about the weird and wonderful possessions we can’t imagine life without. Think of it as an ode to the mundane, bizarre and, sometimes, wholly unnecessary products in our lives.
I am a jewellery magpie. At any given moment I’m adorned in gold hoops, stud earrings, bangles, a pendant necklace and several rings – each with their own sentimental story behind them.
The only time I bother to take my jewels off is when I’m in the shower (mainly because I’m worried about damage in the midst of a vigorous scrub) but also to avoid tarnishing them in the damp environment. Despite taking such precautions, living in a polluted and sweaty city such as
London takes its toll on shiny objects, leaving them feeling grubby and looking tarnished. A higher price tag doesn’t always guarantee immunity to general wear and tear. Just as clothes bobble and snag, gold jewellery – especially that is gold-plated rather than solid gold (I’m not made of money) – has a tendency to tarnish when exposed to the air. [Read More: 8 Delicate Turquoise And Gold Necklaces, Inspired By Meghan Markle]In years gone by, when I used to spend my Saturdays browsing the jewellery sections of high street
fashion brands, I would have cut my losses and replaced them with another pair of £5 earrings. Now, however, I’m a new woman. And in a bid to be more environmentally-friendly I’m ditching fast fashion in favour of buying investment pieces that are built to last.
So as with my clothes (which I lovingly treat with my de-bobbler) I needed a solution – something to bring my jewellery back to life when they needed a bit of help.
On a whim I decided to go back to the shop where I’d bought several of the pieces. I expected to be chastised by a staff member for not taking better care of my items, but instead she whipped out a packet of Connoisseurs jewellery wipes and transformed my necklace in front of my eyes.[Read More: The Best Gold Jewellery Pieces For £30 And Under]Eternally grateful, I made a mental note to come back again with the rest of my jewellery treasure chest for this wipe wizard to spruce up. But before I had the chance, she interrupted: “You do know you can just buy these online?”
I felt like I’d been let into some Hatton Garden inner circle, but turns out you don’t need to own a vault of diamonds to qualify for the jewellery wipes – they’re sold on
Amazon for less than a tenner.
The Connoisseurs wipes are about half the size of a face wipe, made from 100% natural cotton fibres and feel completely dry to the touch. There are other brands available, but I can’t vouch for them.
When you take the wipes out of the packet, you just rub it over your jewellery and they start to clean up immediately, with a black residue being left all over the wipe – weird but incredibly satisfying to watch.
Within minutes your jewellery will look totally different and you’ll be glad you didn’t trade it in for new bits. And it goes without saying you shouldn’t flush the wipe down the loo – we’re trying to save the environment here, not clog it up. Read More: My Snazzy, Jazzy Sweaty Betty Leggings Mean I Actually Go To The Gym Can Face Mists Help Hydrate My Dry Skin? I Tried Loads To Find Out The Best Places To Buy Petite Clothing For Women