Jewellery Care and Maintenance
Precious jewellery needs looking after!
Jewellery is sensitive to wear and tear, but our tips can ensure your precious items stay safe and secure for a long time!
TREAT YOUR JEWELLERY GENTLY
- Store each piece separately when you’re not wearing them to avoid scratches
- Don’t wear rings and jewellery where there is a risk of knocks and bangs. Ie, take them off when gardening, lifting heavy things, going to the gym, doing sports etc. hard activities can bend jewellery and stones can be lost!
- If you take your jewellery off while out and about, don’t leave it in the bottom of your handbag. Keep a little soft pouch or box in your bag for safe keeping.
- Be careful of perfumes, hairspray, cosmetics and other body products. Put your jewellery on last when getting ready in the morning, and be extra careful not to get solvents and sprays on precious stones and pearls. These products can wear away the beautiful luster of your pearls which cannot be reversed! (see our section on looking after pearls properly)
Have your jewellery checked regularly. byt our jewellers
- We recommend having your items checked every year, perhaps near your birthday so you make it a habit you’ll not forget!
- We look at settings and claws of all stones to make sure they’re safe and secure not lifting. The shank or band is checked for wear or thinning too!
- Regular checks can be the difference between inexpensive minor repairs and a much more extensive repair or replacement if damage has gone unnoticed.
Careing for pearls
- Pearls have special requirements due to their delicate nature. They are ve porous and susceptible to damage from costumetics, perfumes, hairspray and oils.
- Always put your pears on last when getting dolled up so they never have harsh products directly on them.
- Also think about getting them re-strung or knotted at least once every two years. If the silk thread becomes wet, grimy or dirty, it can wear out and break or damage your pearls. We offer this service instore.
- When cleaning pearls, never use cleaning products or silver cloths. Rub them gently with a soft cloth that is slightly damp to bring back their beautiful luster. Keep pearls in a box or cloth bag as they can scratch easily.
CLEANING YOUR JEWELLERY
If you are unsure how to clean your jewellery, we can do it for you! If you want to have a go at home, the process depends on what you’re cleaning.
Silver Jewellery
Exposure to the air or moisture can tarnish your silver jewellery. You can reverse this by rubbing it all over with a silver polishing cloth. Silver cloths have a special chemical on them which easily removes tarnishing and discoloration.
You can also use jewellery cleaning solution. This is a strong chemical mixture which should NOT be used with any enamels or synthetic stones.
A little dishwashing liquid mixed with water also does a good cleaning job. Soak your silver in that mixture to remove any oils first. Then use jewellery cleaning according to instructions. A gentle scrub with a sot brush can help. Then rinse thoroughly with hot water. Be sure to completely dry each piece. Buff with a cloth for final measure if you want to.
Silver jewellery with enamels, shell detail, synthetic stones or oxidized detail should be soaked and brushed in soapy water but NEVER exposed to chemical cleaners. These will strip any oxidizing or erode and discolor other elements. Rinse in hot soapy water and then dry.
Pandora or any other charms should never be used with silver cleaner as they use oxidization to highlight their patterns.
Gold Platinum and Diamonds
White and yellow gold, diamonds and platinum can be cleaned with soapy water and a soft brush. The best results come from a professional buff to remove scratches and ultrasonic cleaning which can be done in our store by our jewellers.
Coloured Stones
All natural coloured stones have different properties and characteristics. Ruby and sapphire stones can safely be cleaned as you would a diamond. Emeralds require special care as they are very brittle. We recommend emeralds are cleaned professionally by a jewellery. Opals, pearls, greenstone and shell requires special care also.
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