Take care when wearing knits: Those cozy sweaters provide a million little opportunities for your jewelry to snag, which could result not just in damage to your clothes but to your jewelry, as well. If you find that the prongs on your jewelry are catching on your sweater, take them into your jeweler to be inspected and, if necessary, repaired. Also, as a rule of thumb, always put your jewelry on after you’re dressed and before you undress.

Keep up your at-home cleaning: After any outdoor activities, such as hayrides, apple picking, or a day spent in a corn maze, clean your jewelry with either the cleaning formula listed in this article or according to your jeweler’s instructions. This will help to ensure that any debris from the day doesn’t begin to build up or become lodged in your settings, which could result in loose or even lost stones.

Be mindful of the temperature: Jewelry and extreme temperatures are never a good combination. If you’re attending a bonfire or even just sitting around a campfire, it’s best to leave your jewelry far away from the heat and flames.

Keep your jewelry away from that jack o’lantern: Carving pumpkins? Take off your rings, watch, and bracelets first -- not only will you save your jewelry from unsightly and sticky conditions, but you’ll also avoid accidental impact with carving tools that could cause severe damage.

Always remove your jewelry for housekeeping activities: Even folding and putting away laundry presents dangers of snagging your rings on knits or knocking your setting against the metal closures on your jeans. To make it easy to remember to remove your jewelry during these activities, consider putting a jewelry dish or small box in the areas of your home where you do the most cleaning, such as the laundry room and on your kitchen and bathroom counters.

Gardening and gems don’t mix: Getting ready to garden? Leave your jewelry inside, away from the dirt, moisture, and pollen that gardening brings with it. Even if you garden in gloves, any veteran gardener knows that the earth always finds a way in. While you probably can’t save your manicure from the tricky bits of dirt and debris that manage their way into your gardening gloves, you can spare your jewelry from a similar fate by taking them off before you grab your shovel and spade to head outside.

Spring cleaning for your jewelry: Want to give your jewelry a spring cleaning? Go for it, but don’t go too far: this is no time to start experimenting with new cleaners or devices. Outside of the approved cleaning regimen provided by your jeweler, you shouldn’t expose your jewelry to anything new or out of the ordinary. For a proper spring cleaning, let the calendar serve as a reminder for you to bring your jewelry in for a professional inspection and cleaning from your jeweler.

Working on your tan? Your gemstones might be getting one, too: The summer sun can do more than give you a healthy glow; it might also give your gems a hazy appearance or even change their color entirely. It’s true: some gemstones are sensitive to UV light, and exposure to the sun’s rays could result in irreversible damage to your favorite jewelry.

Love the heat? Your jewelry doesn’t: Do you love to lay in the heavy heat of summer, even after the rest of the sub lovers have retreated to the air conditioning? This is one past time your jewelry should sit out. Extreme heat or temperature fluctuations can cause some stones to crack or may result in other types of damage.

Don’t damage your jewelry when protecting your skin: Sunscreens, oils, lotions, and other summer body products can build up on your jewelry, leaving them looking hazy and dirty and potentially contributing to loose stones or metal erosion. Just as you would with soaps and lotions you apply daily, make sure you remove your jewelry when applying any sun protection lotions or sprays.