After Wedding Season: Clean and Store Kundan, Pearl, Oxidised

Updated October 2026

A wedding season is hard on a jewellery box. In a few weeks the same pieces face sweat, perfume, hair spray, turmeric at the haldi, long car rides and quick changes between functions. If everything goes back into the box as it is, the dullness and tangles you notice next season started now.

This is a routine for the whole box in one sitting, not a single piece. For step-by-step cleaning of one stone-set piece, see our guide to cleaning kundan jewellery at home.

When should I clean my jewellery after a wedding season?

Within a week of the last function is best. Sweat, perfume and hair spray leave a film on the plating, and the longer it sits the harder it is to wipe off. Pick one evening, spread a clean white towel on a table under good light, and take everything out of the box, including the pieces you did not wear.

How do I sort the box before cleaning?

Make four piles: kundan and stone-set pieces, pearl-look beads, oxidised or antique-finish pieces, and plain plated pieces. Add a fifth pile for anything with a loose stone, a bent hook, a stretched thread or a clasp that does not close well. Sorting first matters because each type needs a different touch, and one cloth used on all of them spreads dirt from one pile to the next.

How do I clean kundan pieces after a season?

Use a dry soft brush, such as a clean makeup brush, to sweep dust from around and between the stones, then wipe the metal with a dry microfibre cloth. Do not soak kundan or use chemical cleaners, because water and liquids can seep behind the stones and loosen the setting. If a piece has turmeric stains, wipe gently with a barely damp cloth and dry it straight away. Browse our kundan jewellery and kundan earrings if some pieces have reached the retire pile.

How should I care for pearl-look beads?

Wipe the beads with a soft cloth that is barely damp, then dry them immediately. Pearl-look beads on fashion jewellery have a surface coating that can dull or chip if it is rubbed hard or kept wet, and perfume and hair spray are the usual causes of a cloudy look. Check the thread on strings and the glue on single beads, and set aside anything that looks frayed. Our pearl sets and moti jewellery and pearl earrings collections have replacements.

What about oxidised and antique-finish pieces?

Leave the dark finish alone, because it is part of the design. Wipe the piece with a dry soft cloth to lift sweat marks and dust, and avoid lemon, toothpaste or silver dips, which can strip the finish unevenly. Keep oxidised pieces dry, since damp air changes the finish faster than anything else. If you want to know how the finishes differ, read gold plated vs rhodium vs oxidised silver, and see antique gold jewellery and silver plated jewellery for the range.

How should I store each type for the off-season?

Give each piece its own pouch or a small zip bag, and keep like with like so that bright plated pieces do not rub against dark oxidised ones. Store kundan sets lying flat, not piled, and pair earrings on a card or in a small bag so that hooks do not scratch each other.

• Add a silica gel packet to the box and dry or replace it every few months.
• Keep the box in a cupboard away from the bathroom, the kitchen and direct sun.
• Put pearl-look strings in a pouch of their own so that stone edges do not catch the thread.
• Wrap American diamond pieces separately and wipe them as described in our American diamond cleaning guide.

More tips for Mumbai humidity are in our guide to storing jewellery at home, and general plating care is in caring for gold-plated jewellery.

What should I retire or replace before the next season?

Look at the repair pile and ask three questions. Is a stone loose, is the plating worn through at the points that touch skin, and is the thread or hook past saving? A piece that fails two of the three is better kept for casual use than worn to a wedding. Then write down the gaps for next season, such as a pair of lightweight earrings for dancing or a second set in a new colour. Dispatch takes 1-2 days and delivery takes 4-15 days with free shipping across India, so order early, and wedding dates change every year, so check a calendar. For travel between cities, see how to pack jewellery for a destination wedding.

How do I plan the box for next season?

Think about functions, not pieces. A kundan set for the main day, a pearl-look set for the engagement, lighter jewellery for mehndi and sangeet, and simple earrings for the daytime functions cover most calendars. Our guide for destination wedding guests and the one on haldi and sangeet looks for the groom's sister or cousin show how to plan by function.

For help choosing replacements, message us on WhatsApp at +91 98705 89560, or read more guides on the Saloni blog.