Jewellery Care & Maintenance Guide
To help keep your new, antique, and pre-owned jewellery safe, beautiful, and in its best condition for years to come, we’ve put together this best practice guide to jewellery care and maintenance, for new, antique and pre-owned pieces.
Everyday Jewellery
Whether your newly purchased jewellery is an engagement ring, pair of everyday earrings or an antique heirloom, we recommend that every item of jewellery be treated like a fine jewellery piece. With care and consideration when being worn and regular maintenance to ensure all settings and features are safe and secure; your jewellery should last you a lifetime.
This does mean that although an item may be purchased for everyday wear, it should not be worn all day, every day; this is to protect it from damage it may be more prone to with some daily activities.
Activities
In the Home
Many of the daily activities and tasks we perform around the house can cause unexpected damage to your jewellery.
Spices in cooking can stain pieces, and raw ingredients can get lodged in settings.
Harsh chemicals can corrode gemstones, and vigorous scrubbing or handling heavy appliances may bend or scratch your rings.
Sport
Sporting activities, like the gym can lead to scratches and chips to metals and Gemstones, even Diamonds, and can lead to pieces being bent out of shape and settings getting twisted, this could lead to gemstones falling loose or being lost.
Water
Some Gemstones are porous, meaning they can soak in water and damage the structure and finish, such as Pearls and Opals.
Chlorinated water can cause the metals to become brittle and structurally weakened, degrading them over time.
Cold water, like the sea, is another time to be cautious especially with rings, your fingers can shrink and therefore you risk them falling off.
Cosmetics
The ingredients in many cosmetics are oil based and these oils can stick to the surfaces of Gemstones and metals causing them to dull.
Chemicals in hair products can also cause lasting damage to the sheen and surface brilliance of many Gemstones.
Preservation
Gentle Is Best
We use some of the hardest gemstones available for durability, but even tough stones like sapphires and diamonds can chip if struck at the right angle with enough force. It's important to avoid knocking your jewellery against hard surfaces.
The same goes for the metals: while gold and platinum are strong and durable, they can still be dented or bent if hit hard or exposed to excessive pressure.
Cleaning Jewellery
To clean your jewellery, soak it in warm to hot water with a few drops of dish soap for about 20 minutes. Using a soft toothbrush, gently scrub, especially around stone settings. Repeat as needed.
After cleaning, pat dry with kitchen roll and let the piece air-dry completely before giving it a final polish with a jewellery cloth for extra shine.
Avoid harsh household cleaners or anything abrasive, as these can damage or discolour the metal and stones.
Delicate Gemstones
For pieces featuring softer gemstones, such as Emeralds, or porous materials such as Pearls, we recommend simply cleaning the ring softly with a jewellery cloth. Do not soak these pieces in water, as it can damage the organic materials.
These are just some of the things to consider to care and maintain your jewellery, we recommend regular maintenance for your precious items.
Take your jewellery for regular checking and cleaning, with a professional jeweller; they can ensure all stones and settings are secure, advising of any restoration or repairs before anything gets too damaged or lost.
In addition to caring for your item, we recommend having sufficient insurance for your jewellery to give you piece of mind and protection.