Taking Care of Your Jewellery

Fine Jewellery Care & Cleaning

Jewellery and gemstones require special care when wearing, storing, or cleaning. To help you look after your jewellery and keep it in the best condition. Here are a few tips and suggestions for you.

• Always try and keep your jewellery in a jewellery roll or a lovely jewellery box away from the air.
• Don't let your jewellery come into contact with nail polish removers, perfume and hairspray.
• Don't heap your jewellery into one drawer. Remember a diamond ring can scratch that pearl necklace. Keep them separate and ideally wrapped in velvet, paper, or silk.
• "Do check for loose stones frequently by gently tapping the piece with your finger near your ear.
• Do get pearls restrung every two years or annually with frequent use.
• Do clean fine jewelry often to maintain its sparkle and beauty. Do not use toothpaste as its abrasives can damage softer gems and metals. All fine jewelry can be safely cleaned by soaking for 10 minutes in warm soapy water (using a non-detergent soap). Use a soft brush on harder gems to loosen any dirt around the prongs. To reduce greasy build-up on diamond jewelry, dip it in plain alcohol or vodka before soaking.
• Clean your jewellery regularly, use a professional jewellery cleaning product (always read the manufacturers instructions)
• Wear jewellery for appropriate tasks, avoid wearing rings when cleaning, gardening or performing sports activities.
• Never go swimming in your jewellery, chlorine in swimming pools can cause damage.

Pearl Care Tips

• Pearls of any kind are soft, costly gems, often the prized possession of a jewelry collection. It is essential to take very good care of pearls to preserve their elegance and quality.
• Avoid commercial products when cleaning your pearls. Materials like cosmetics, perfumes, toothbrushes and scrubbing pads can easily damage a pearl's surface. After washing pearls with vinegar or any ammonia-based cleaner make sure to rinse them well in warm water to prevent them from becoming weak.
• Always use a soft bag, velvet pouch, or a satin box to store your pearls; plastic bags or open, dry places can cause them to crack.

Gemstone Jewellery Care Tips

• The best single piece of advise to clean gemstones is to wipe your precious stone jewellery with a clean, soft damp cloth after wearing. This little habit will ensure that your jewellery is always looking its best.
• When your gemstone jewellery is not being worn, storage in a soft pouch is recommended.
• There are some things to avoid. Salt water and harsh chemicals such as chlorine bleach or detergents can cause damage. The chemicals erode the finish and polish of the gems leaving them dull. Hairspray, perfume and perspiration can also cause dullness if not regularly cleaned off.

Beads Care Tips

• If you have beaded necklaces such as gemstone, or pearls, store them flat, preferably in a silk pouch. If the string breaks, let a professional jeweller restring them for you.

Sterling Silver Jewellery Care Tips

Sterling Silver Jewellery needs to stay bright and shiny. As with most precious metals, in time silver will oxidize. Properly maintained silver actually improves with age. It develops a lush patina when treated well.

• Simply clean with a mild soap and water solution. Pat dry with a soft cloth. If dirt is more stubborn a silver cleaner is appropriate. But don't rub silver with anything other than a polishing cloth or fine piece of felt. Tissue paper or paper towels will cause scratches.
• Like other jewellery, avoid wearing silver in chlorinated water as this will discolour it.
• Store your silver jewellery in a cool, dry, dark place. A tarnish preventative bag is a good idea, or wrapped individually in plastic pouches, a soft piece of felt or cloth.
• As air and light cause silver to tarnish, the less of them the better when stored.

What is Sterling Silver?

Silver is a precious metal and much like gold it is too fine to be made in a 100% form. To make it durable for jewerly, pure silver (999 fineness) is often alloyed with small quantities of copper (7.5%), thus comes sterling silver (92.5% or .925). Copper is added to strengthen the silver and make it durable to be use as a decorative or in fashionable jewerly.