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Nail polish has been a woman’s friend for decades now. Normally, after some time women start to find alternative usage of the products they use every day, and nail polish is no exception.
There are many creative ways nail polish can be used – to create waterproof matches, to sew a button in place, to seal an envelope, but another very common use is on jewelry, to save it from damage and discoloration.
The clear nail polish should be applied to jewelry because it can prevent it from losing shine or discoloration, thus prolonging its duration. It can also prevent allergic reactions due to contact with some metals. And if you need to fix a gemstone, the clear nail polish will do the work.
Although there might be some concerns about whether the nail polish itself is good for the nails, it certainly is for the jewelry. Further in the article, you will find which types of jewelry you can use this hack on permanently, and on the other side, I will tell you which jewelry sees nail polish only as a first aid kit.
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You Can Stop Ring’s Discoloration
Besides nail polishes, jewelry has been one of the most favorite accessories ladies can wear. It comes in all types of styles, shapes, and colors that it is impossible to stick just to one piece for some time.
Changing jewelry on a daily basis usually means that a lot of pieces stay forgotten in a box, and some materials are more prone to damage than others. Usually, very cheap jewelry tends to have a really short life span, so a good old clear nail polish hack can prolong its life.
If you own any rings that are made from silver or not 100% pure gold, you might have noticed that after some time the rings are starting to show some changes in their color.
Besides changing their color, the rings tend to leave a greenish mark on your skin. This is a normal process that’s happening because of our everyday activities and sweat coming in touch with the metal. The silver will eventually tarnish and reveal a base metal. This exposure will react with the air and cause the ring to change color.
A simple hack to prevent this from happening, or to delay at least, is to put a clean nail polish all over your ring. Make sure that you put a thin layer so that it is not noticeable while you wear it.
Also, bear in mind that every day you come in touch with various chemicals that can damage the rings in one way or another. Putting clear nail polish on top is not the ultimate protection – you still need to be careful and reapply the nail polish if you notice that it’s worn out.
If you have any type of shiny jewelry and you notice that the shine began to fade away, painting it over with clear nail polish is a good way to revive the shine. When applied, one coat should last for a long time – even for months. But in the end, it depends on how often you wear that specific piece of jewelry and how careful you are.
It Can Save You from Allergies from Jewelry
Having an allergy can really be a hustle, but many don’t have any severe symptoms so they learned how to manage it and live with it. An allergy is our immune system’s reaction to an external stimulus.
The cause of an allergy can be various, from dust, over food, to specific metals or substances. One of the most common allergies, mostly among women, is nickel allergy. I know it may sound unfamiliar to you, but if you ever had a skin reaction caused by wearing jewelry, then you probably experienced a callergy.
Nickel allergy mostly occurs after wearing cheap jewelry. Unfortunately, many ladies are doomed to not wearing any imitation jewelry because of the severe reaction it can cause.
Symptoms are usually mild and in a form of an itchy rash at the place where the jewelry was in touch with your skin. In some cases, the symptoms can progress causing blisters similar to ones that form after serious burns.
One of the hacks I tried is to use clear nail polish over the jewelry to prevent my skin from reacting to the metal itself. And it worked! My skin irritations have stopped after I applied clear nail polish to all my earrings and necklaces.
Here I’d like to make a note and say that this is not recommended if you have severe allergies. Only if you have some mild reactions, you can try this hack. Even then, make sure not to wear that piece of jewelry for too long.
Being exposed to a chemical like nail polish for a long period can also be damaging and might cause an allergic reaction in the end. This is why you should take this nail polish advice only as a shortcut and use it in situations where it’s necessary.
Can Be Used to Fix Gemstone Jewelry
The most beautiful and most attractive pieces of jewelry are those with some gemstones incorporated. And if you ever owned such a piece, then you also must be familiar with how annoying it can be when one of those perfectly aligned gemstones falls from its socket.
Let me just say that this has nothing to do with the quality of the jewelry itself. Of course, it is more likely to happen to cheaper jewelry, but it can also happen to the expensive ones.
The main reason why the gemstones fall off a cheap bracelet, for example, is the quality of the glue that was used – it was not strong enough. The main reason why such a gemstone would fall off a much more expensive bracelet is more likely connected to everyday tear and wear.
Nevertheless, the gemstone would be out and the quickest way to put it back is to use clear nail polish to glue it back to its socket. Apply a little bit of nail polish on the base of the gemstone that fell off, and gently push it back to its place. After it’s completely dried, apply a thin layer of nail polish on top of it as well, to lock it in place.
Please note that the last step is a permanent solution only for cheap jewelry. To the expensive ones you’ve just given the first aid – the next step is to take them to a professional to seal the gemstone in place so you don’t lose it next time.
Here you can read more about clear nail polish.
Sources:
- Minasai: Caring for Sterling Silver
- Mayoclinic: Nickel Allergy – Symptoms and causes
- Kelly Annie: How To Keep Your Jewelry Looking NEW. Do’s and Don’ts
- Reviewed: I tried clear nail polish hacks that the internet swears by—here’s what works
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