While the old adage claims “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” perhaps it should be amended to say “diamonds and European crystals.” Women have a long standing love affair with these flawless man made beauties and with good reason.

So why are European crystals so well-loved? For one, these gorgeous crystals sparkle and shine from every angle and come with a much lower price tag than diamonds. The array of different jewelry designs is another aspect that plays into their popularity. This Austrian producer of these crystals doesn’t limit design to only jewelry however. They are also commonly featured in chandeliers, home decoration designs, handbags and clothing accents.

So once you have European crystals of your own, taking care of them properly will help ensure that the sparkle and shine you love will stay brilliant for years to come.

Jewelry

Special care is needed to make sure your delicate crystals remain intact. Here are the top tips for maintaining their vibrancy.

• Keep the original packaging for storing your jewelry. The soft pouch is designed to help avoid scratches during storage.
• Use a soft cloth for polishing
• Jewelry should be removed prior to applying products and washing with soap. Outside chemicals can cause to a loss of brilliance and color fading.
• Keep the crystals away from water whenever possible and remove prior to washing.
• Beware of hard surfaces that can lead to scratches.

Accessories and Handbags

• If applied to a leather surface, leather cleaning products should not come in contact with cleaners, grease, perfume, water or makeup. These can result in discoloration.

Figurines

• Polish all decorative objects and figurines with a clean soft cloth and lukewarm water. Never soak your crystal in water.
• Use a lint free cloth to shine
• Never use glass or window cleaners as these are too harsh and can damage the crystals.

By using these tips for maintaining the brilliance of your crystals, you will avoid scratches, discoloration and other blemishes that can take away from the signature sparkle and shine.