Jewellery Care
Jewellery is made to be worn, it is made to adorn your body. It is precious and deserves to be treated with care.
Over time your jewellery will inevitably wear and be scratched a little, it is made from precious metals after all. These little blemishes show the world the piece is adored and cherished, becoming a part of its history.
There are a few things we can avoid to help avoid major heartache.
Avoid harsh chemicals such as cleaning products, especially those with bleach, as well as chlorine. This includes a chlorinated pool.
Avoid wearing your jewellery if it is likely to come into contact with sand. A component of sand is quartz, while it might not be hard enough to inflict major damage to hard stones like sapphire it can still cause abrasions around the facet edges. Sand can definitely scratch the metal though as well as softer stones. Gardening is a big one here!
Avoid contact with your jewellery on hard surfaces like concrete, steel, tiles, glass etc.
Avoid the gym. Wait, avoid the gym with your jewellery. Especially rings that can be bent out of place, especially when lifting weights. Necklaces also have the potential to get snagged on something.
Avoid abrasives. Sandpaper can definitely cause damage to your jewellery, even the stone. Some exfoliants can also scratch the metal.
Avoid high temperatures and extreme temperature changes. If you leave your jewellery somewhere where it gets really hot, like in the sun, don’t run it under cold water to cool in down. These sudden extreme temperature changes can cause the stone to crack. Some stones like opals are more susceptible to this. Instead, just place the piece inside in the shade or back into its box.
We also recommend putting your jewellery on after any cosmetics, moisturiser and hair products. This won’t only protect your jewellery from any chemicals that might affect it but also keep it cleaner for longer. Do not spray any perfume directly onto or around your jewellery, especially if it contains pearls within its design.
Cleaning
Cleaning your jewellery is an easy way to keep it looking its best. A clean jewellery cloth is the easiest way to remove any tarnish or skin oils, just gently rub the cloth over the piece. This isn’t recommended for any oxidised finishes as it will start to remove them. Matte finishes might also be altered by this cleaning method.
For a deeper home clean fill a plastic bowl or container with lukewarm water and add some mild detergent, gently scrub your piece with a soft toothbrush, we like to use a face cleansing brush with very soft bristles. Try to gently clean behind the stone if you can. To dry your piece, gently dab at it with a soft clean cloth. Mild detergents are perfume-free and don’t have any water-softening agents.
A jeweller can also perform a very deep clean with an ultrasonic if needed. This will help remove all the gunk behind the stone. Some stones aren’t recommended to be cleaned in an ultrasonic, such as emerald, tanzanite, and any stone with moderate to heavy inclusions. For these stones, a good gentle scrub at home is best. We do not recommend home ultrasonics for cleaning jewellery with gemstones, some don't have an even ultrasonic action and can concentrate most of their power to one spot which can be detrimental to any stone.
Cleaning your jewellery is also a great time to inspect it for any potential problems, especially any claws as these can be bent with a gentle knock. If you do find any problems feel free to contact us to discuss repair options.
Storage
When not being worn your jewellery should be kept in the box it came in if possible. If this isn’t possible it is best to keep your jewellery separated to avoid one piece scratching another. Chains and cables should be kept flat to avoid potential kinks. Avoid storing your piece in direct sunlight, while most of our pieces should be fine, jewellery with pearls or resin in them can potentially be damaged, so it is a good habit to get into. For necklaces, when putting them back on make sure the clasp is secure. If in doubt feel free to contact us.
Gemstone Care
Opening the box
Once you get your loose gemstone most people want to inspect it straight away. Here are a few pointers to make sure that the inspection process goes smoothly.
The best method to open the gemstone box is to place the box glass side down and use the back of a set of gemstone tweezers to pry it open. A butter knife also works well.
Feel free to pick the stone up and place it on your hand in between your fingers. Or carefully blue-tack it to the back of a ring. Try not to press the stone into the metal, as it can scratch your ring or even the stone. Fresh blue tack is best as it isn’t too sticky.
Carefully take it for a walk. Ideally over soft terrain like carpets or wooden floors if you do accidentally drop it it is less likely to chip! Look at it under as many different lights as you can!
To put it back into the box for safekeeping, gently place the stone onto the middle of the glass and push the back on tightly, ensuring it is shut correctly.
General Care
Gemstones are not indestructible. Even diamonds can be chipped and broken. It is best to treat them with care like the precious objects they are. In general, follow the things to avoid in the jewellery section.
Some extra care should be taken with emeralds, and any other gemstone with a lot of inclusions. They can still be worn every day but are more prone to chipping. A little more care to not hit them on hard surfaces is needed that’s all.
Some stones have distinct cleavage planes that also make them more susceptible to knocks. This includes tanzanite, topaz, zircon and even diamonds. Everyday wear is still okay, just a little more care is needed.
Softer stones should be treated with a little extra care as well. They are more susceptible to chipping and scratches. This includes garnet, tanzanite, quartzes and even tourmalines which all have the ability to be scratched by sand.
Cleaning
In general, gemstones can be cleaned the same way as your jeweller detailed above. We don’t recommend an ultrasonic for any stones with perfect cleavage to be on the safe side.
Storage
Your loose gemstone should be stored in its original display box and not in direct sunlight. A jewellery box is always a good bet, or anywhere that they will be safe and you will remember!