Caring for your Jewellery

Keep your jewellery looking it's best

We want you to enjoy your jewellery for a long time and you can keep it looking good if you follow some basic guidelines.

When you wear your jewellery you inevitably subject it to everyday wear and tear. While many items, if cared for correctly, may literally last a lifetime, jewellery is not indestructible and needs care maintenance, like a car. The settings of rings should be checked annually or sooner if you are concerned, particular if the rings are worn constantly like engagement rings. If you knock a ring or catch the setting on clothing, this may loosen the stone and you should have it checked over by your favourite jeweller. Usually, jewellery can be restored to it's original state.

Storing your jewels

When you are not wearing your jewellery, it is best to keep it in its original packaging. By keeping it separately from other jewellery you protect it from getting knocked, scratched and tangled up and it is easier to keep the surface in its original condition. Snake chains are susceptible to kinking if they are over bent or trapped. Torq necklace may loose their shape if they are not kept flat. Items with softer surfaces such as pearls and some stones may easily scratch if 'thrown' in with other jewellery.

Cleaning

Cleanliness significantly affects the beauty of your jewellery and a clean diamond is more brilliant and fiery than if dirt has accumulated. Water, dirt, or grease on the underside of a diamond interferes with the diamond's brilliance and fire and it can be tricky for you to remove this at home once is has built up.

You can easily clean your jewellery at home in warm soapy water. (Please note, this method is not appropriate for porous stones such as opals, emeralds or pearls.) Often this is all that is required to remove grease and brighten the metal and stones. You may wish to gently use a soft brush to get into settings or grooves (an old toothbrush is ideal. Don't use a coarse brush, which may scratch your jewellery). This will help to loosen any accumulated build up. After cleaning, rinse thoroughly in warm water and leave to dry out in a soft towel. You can also use a proprietary polishing cloth to restore shine to polished jewellery. These are available for silver, gold and platinum, but are not suitable for matt surfaces.

Silver jewellery oxidizes naturally which gives it a grey or brownish look. If the soapy water method doesn't bring back the brightness, you can try using a quality Silver Dip which is available from many supermarkets. Only use occasionally as over-use of Silver Dip can be detrimental to your jewellery. Full instructions for use will be given on the packaging.

Blackening of Silver

Unfortunately some people react against silver jewellery and turn it black. According to a chemist this could be due to diet, or some medications. If your jewellery turns black when it is new, try cleaning it with concentrated washing up liquid, then rinse in water, then dip briefly in Silver Dip and rinse thoroughly in water again. Any initial discolouration usually fades in time. Avoid contact with chemicals such as cholorine, peroxide and sulphur as they discolour silver. The methods described above will clean jewellery that has blackened in this way, but sometimes the only option is to avoid silver jewellery. Certain items of jewellery can be plated or lacquered to create an invisible barrier between the jewellery and the wearers skin. If the tarnishing persists please contact us to discuss returning the jewellery for cleaning.

Refinishing

If caring for your jewellery is like maintaining a car, then wearing your jewels is like owning a pair of jeans - it reflects the life you have lived. Your favourite jeans take on your shape and get a bit battered and worn and this is the same with jewellery. The finish on all metal will change with wear – matt finish becomes more shiny and a highly polished finish becomes duller. This change is particularly noticeable on rings because they are more likely to be knocked and rubbed than other types of jewellery, such as necklaces. The good news is that most jewellery can have the finish restored and there is usually a charge for this service. Contact us if you would like to know more.

And finally

Try not to expose your jewellery to any chemicals such as household cleaners and perfumes as these could damage or discolour the surface of your jewellery.

Don't wear your jewellery during activities such as exercising, cleaning, diy or gardening to avoid bashing or scratching. Even keeping your jewellery on whilst asleep in bed will subject it to wear!

Consider removing your rings when washing up or showering.

Check regularly for signs of wear and tear, particularly around exposed areas such as catches. Over time, stone settings can become loose, especially when caught on garments or in contact with hard surfaces.