So, your guy is stepping up his game this V-day? Instead of flowers and chocolates, he’s giving you real jewelry? Good for you! (And great job, beau!) And while you know that precious pieces of gold and silver can instantly amp up your look and can be passed on as heirloom pieces, what you may not know is how to take good care of ’em.

Enter Tricie Legrada, sales and marketing head for Pandora, to enlighten you on how to maintain the sparkle and shine of your treasured trinkets.

1. Remove jewelry before a sweat sesh.
Never wear your baubles while playing sports or sweating it out in the gym. Taking a dip in the pool or at the beach with your jewelry on is also a big no-no. “Chlorine and salt water cause your trinkets to get dull,” Legarda warns.

2. Do your primping routine before putting on jewelry.
The chemical compounds of lotions, perfumes, and hairspray affect the condition of your sparklers, so remember to put your jewelry on after your get-gorgeous routine. And as soon as you take these pieces off, wipe them immediately to remove body oils, leftover beauty products, and perspiration.

3. Clean each piece the right way.
The cleaning method for gold, silver, precious stones, and freshwater pearls differ. Gold and silver can be soaked in dish soap and water solution with a 1:5 ratio, gently scrubbed with a sort toothbrush, rinsed in hot water, and wiped dry with a microfiber cloth. “Freshwater pearls, on the other hand, should never be exposed to water and cleaning agents. They must be cleaned with a soft brush or cloth,” adds Legarda.

4. Keep ‘em shining.

Take your little treasures to the professionals annually to restore their luster and to check for loose parts and scratches. “A silver-polishing cloth is a great tool to make your silver jewelry shine again when the pieces become dull. However, it will not remove scratches,” Legarda says.

5. Store them properly. Keep them away from sunlight and heat. Place them in a lined jewellery box or a tarnish resistant pouch. “You can also store them in a plastic zip lock bag made of Mylar or polyethylene. Never use polyvinyl plastic bags, such as trash can liners as they contain sulfur compounds or rubber containers which will make sterling silver tarnish faster and can also turn silver jewelry black,” says Legarda. “Moisture is also a factor to be considered, so refrain from storing jewelry in the bathroom,” she adds.

(Main photo: Pandora Valentine's 2015 collection courtesy of Pandora Philippines; Images from Instagram.com @karliekloss, @theofficialpandora)