guides

Jewellery Care

Some essentials, gained from decades of guiding our customers.
General Guidance

General Guidance

Do …

  • • Store jewellery in a safe, soft environment – a fabric-lined jewellery box prevents scratches.
  • • Take care not to scratch, bash or drop your jewellery – always vulnerable to some extent.
  • • Remove your jewellery when applying scent, or lotions and potions.
  • • Put your jewellery on last when getting ready.
  • • Polish your jewellery regularly with a soft, clean cloth.

Do Not …

  • • Wear antique jewellery while using corrosive cleaning products, cover up with rubber gloves.
  • • Wear your jewellery to do the gardening (or similarly physical activity).
  • • Wear rings when swimming, as fingers contract in the cool water where they may fall off.
  • • Wear silver in the pool as chlorine has an adverse effect on it.
  • • Take your precious jewellery on holiday, and avoid the risk of loss.

Metal Care

    • • Gold is the only precious metal that will not tarnish as it is free of oxides. It is not, however a particularly hard metal so care needs to be taken not to scratch it.
    • • As a rule, the higher the gold content, which is indicated by the carat weight, the softer the metal. Try to wear pieces of a similar carat weight together in order that they cause the least possible mutual harm.
    • • A soft, lint-free cloth is an effective way to keep gold jewellery looking its best and maintain its patina.
    • • Gold is particularly vulnerable to harm caused by chlorine so care should be taken not to wear your gold in the pool.
    • • Platinum is hardwearing and suitable to be worn every day but needs care to avoid it being
      scratched.
    • • Platinum jewellery can be cleaned with mild soapy water and a soft toothbrush. (Fairy Liquid is perfect.) Dry with a soft, clean cloth.
    • • Platinum will develop a natural patina over time which can be polished off without trouble.
    • • Silver tends to tarnish but is less likely to discolour if it is worn regularly so don’t stash it away.
    • • Polish silver with a clean soft cloth (a dust cloth), or soak it in warm soapy water before using a clean soft-bristle brush (old toothbrush) to remove dirt.
    • • Chlorine has an adverse effect in silver so avoid wearing it in the pool.

Diamond Care

    • • While diamonds are extremely hard, they have been known to crack and chip, particularly when in contact with other diamonds.
    • • Take care to store diamond pieces separately from each other in order to avoid them scratching against each other.
    • • Diamonds pick up grease easily and can be cleaned using a mild soap and a soft bristle toothbrush, or similar. Dry with a clean, soft cotton cloth.

Coloured Gemstones Care

    • • Gemstone hardness should be considered at all times. The Mohs scale (of 1 to 10) signifies a softer stone to a harder stone.
    • • Softer (more fragile) stones should be stored and worn with extra care in order to avoid scratches or chipping.
    • • An accumulation of dirt and residue is inevitable for regular jewellery wearers.
    • • For stones up to 7 on the Mohs scale, use a soft cloth (not a soft brush). For those at 7 and above, use warm water, a splash of washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush.

  • Take great care when cleaning emeralds (and indeed wearing them while using cleaning chemicals yourself) as they are particularly susceptible to damage and imperfections from cleaning products. Ensure your emeralds do not go through an ultrasonic cleaning device as it will have an adverse effect on the oil coating that emeralds are often given to disguise flaws.

    • • These are Amethyst, aquamarine, beryl, citrine, kunzite, rose smoky quartz, and Opal, pearl, turquoise
    • • These are vulnerable to damage by chemicals, water and even sunlight.
    • • In some instances, over exposure to any of the above elements may lead to discolouration.
    • • Opal, pearl and turquoise are relatively porous and should not be submerged in water for too long.
    • • As an organic material, pearls can easily be scratched, so keep them isolated from the rest of your jewellery to avoid scratching.
    • • Wipe them with a soft cloth when you take them off as all manner of substances picked up during the day can harm them in the long term.
    • • Get your pearls restrung relatively regularly as the string will wear and stretch over time. Usually a knot is tied between each pearl for security.
    • • Do not allow chemical cleaners (especially those with ammonia and bleach), to touch pearls, as they will destroy their lustre.
    • • Avoid exposing pearls to a high heat. They may crack because they are organic and have a high water content.