Your fine jewelry is precious.  Whether it’s a special gift from someone you love, a family heirloom piece, your everyday bling, or just a bauble that makes you feel really, really good when you wear it, fine jewelry requires special care on a regular basis to maintain its inherent beauty and luster.  While proper cleaning and care is important all year long, summer time presents its own special set of challenges when it comes to this aspect of maintaining the beauty of your favorite jewelry. But it’s nothing to be afraid of – here are a few simple tips to help you keep your summer jewelry sparkling all season long. Damage Prevention The first step to protecting your fine jewelry during the summer months is to prevent the opportunity for damage to occur in the first place.  Things we never really think of during typical summer activities – applying sun screen, swimming in chlorinated water or salt water, sand… all of these elements have the potential to dull, scratch or otherwise damage your jewelry.  So, if you’re planning a day at the beach, the pool, or even a little dip in the hot tub, do your jewelry a favor and leave it safely stored somewhere else. Jewelry Protection …and speaking of leaving your precious jewelry somewhere safe while you indulge in your favorite summer activities, it’s important to note that there are right ways – and very wrong ways – of storing and keeping fine jewelry.  To prevent scratches, tangles, and other unfortunate (and always unintended) damages to your jewelry, always store it in a vessel lined with soft cloth, preferably in a cool and dry place (at least for the majority of the time), and, whenever possible, use a jewelry case with dividers to keep pieces separated so they do not inadvertently damage each other. Summer Jewelry Cleaning With or without exposure to the elements, your jewelry needs extra cleaning in the summer.  A simple cleaning with a soft cloth – dampened as needed – will restore its brilliance against daily wear.  Jewelry that is extra-exposed to the elements may need a deeper level of cleaning and maintenance.  Either way, it’s always a good idea to preserve your investments with a professional jewelry cleaning at the end of the summer season.  To ensure that your precious metals and stones will continue to shine and sparkle as they did day you acquired them.