Jewellery Care Guide

A woman’s jewellery box reflects her personality and carries within the creations that she will treasure forever. They have a great sentimental value attached to the pieces and sometimes is an investment for many people. Therefore, taking care of your jewellery is crucial to ensure they look their best for years to come. Whether you are trying to clean a diamond engagement ring, a cherished pearl necklace, or a gold bracelet, follow our guide and take care of your jewellery with confidence.

General Do’s and Don’ts

A professional should regularly check jewellery for damage or wear. Here are a few tips on some of the things you can do to keep it in great shape -

Take your jewellery off if you’re involved in any activity which could scratch, knock or damage it. If in any doubt, take it off and keep it safe.
Keep it well away from chemicals, especially chlorine. If it does come into contact with chemicals, rinse it in water immediately.
Bathe and apply any lotions or perfumes before you put your jewellery on. Organic gemstones like pearls and opals are particularly vulnerable to acids, even perspiration.
Store it separately, ideally in a soft-lined box or case, so that your favourite pieces don’t tangle, rub or scratch one another. Pearls in particular should be kept separately as they are easily scratched by hard gemstones.
Make sure chains and necklaces are fastened when storing to avoid tangling.
Remove jewellery while cooking and cleaning.
When storing jewellery, please keep it away from sunlight, excessive heat, or damp conditions.

While the above-mentioned essentials can keep your jewellery looking as shiny in your everyday life, let’s delve deeper into how a certain metal or stone can be cared for to ensure its longest life!

Gold Jewellery

It doesn’t take long for gold jewellery to lose its shine. Fingerprints and a daily build-up of dirt can quickly dull even the brightest gold. Thankfully, we have some tips to help you to get it shining once again.

If the gold jewellery has gemstones or pearls, please be extra careful when cleaning the piece. Check out the rest of the guide for how best to clean the individual gems so that you don’t cause any damage to the jewellery. If in doubt, it is best to stick to using the following steps:

Add a few drops of washing-up liquid (or other mild degreasing solution) to a lukewarm bowl of water. Extreme temperature changes may damage the jewellery, so avoid hot or ice-cold water.
Soak the jewellery for ten minutes to loosen any build-up of dirt.
Gently clean with a soft-bristled brush such as an unused toothbrush.
Make sure to clean the whole piece of jewellery and get into hard-to-reach places while being extra careful when cleaning fragile parts of the jewellery (for example, at a stone’s setting).
Rinse thoroughly in clean water to remove soap residue and any other remnants of dirt.
Dry gently with a lint-free cloth or leave on a cloth to air dry.

Gold is a very soft metal that is susceptible to scratching. Remember this fact during the cleaning and drying process and be as gentle as possible.

Gemstone Jewellery

Gemstones are bought for their sparkle and colour, so it’s essential to keep them looking their best. However, it is important to know what type of gem you are cleaning and how to get it back to looking like new.

Many coloured gemstones have been treated to enhance their appearance. These treatments can negatively interact with some cleaning products and damage the jewellery. If in any doubt, take your jewellery to a jeweller for advice.

Although a gemstone may appear tough, many can be susceptible to heat. Whenever cleaning, make sure that you use warm water rather than hot or boiling water. Inclusions within gemstones can weaken their structure if aggressively cleaned. Gemstones, such as emeralds that have been oiled to improve colour, can be negatively affected by mechanical cleanings such as steam and ultrasonic cleaning.

For nearly all coloured gemstones — cleaning with warm water, a couple of drops of washing-up liquid, and a soft brush will be more than adequate.

Softer organic stones like pearls, amber, turquoise, coral, moonstone, calcite, opal, kunzite, tourmaline, and emerald can lose their lustre if cleaned with water. So, use a soft cloth and gently clean the surface to preserve its beauty and keep it clean.

Diamonds

Despite being the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth, diamonds require care and attention. They are hard, but they can still fracture and be scratched by other diamonds due to their directional hardness. Oil deposits from fingers and general dust and grime can quickly adhere to the diamond surface and affect a diamond’s brilliance.

Handle the diamond carefully and store it away from other jewellery to avoid scratching the other pieces, including other diamond jewellery.

Keeping the diamond in individual small plastic bags or a fabric-lined case will help reduce damage, wear, and a build-up of dirt.

Follow the below-mentioned step to clean your diamonds -

Clean the diamonds regularly.
Soak in warm water with a degreasing solution (a couple of drops of washing-up liquid will suffice).
Gently brush with a soft, clean toothbrush before drying with a lint-free cloth.
Be extra careful with the stone’s setting as this may be fragile.
Avoid using bleaches or other hard abrasives. This can easily damage the precious metal in which the diamond is mounted.

Silver Jewellery

Silver is subject to tarnishing over time, resulting in dull or even black jewellery.

How to prevent tarnishing:

Simply wearing your silver jewellery will slow the process of tarnishing. Being careful with how you store and wear the silver will also help reduce the speed of tarnishing.

Remove silver rings and bracelets when washing your hands. Residue from soap and hand gels can result in a dull surface.
Keep silver jewellery in separate airtight bags.
Avoid humid environments.

However, when the metal begins to look dull or starts to turn black, it is time to get the cleaning products out to get the jewellery looking new.

How to clean silver:

The simplest way to clean silver is to buy a specialist cleaning solution or cloth. There are numerous examples on the market. Just make sure that they have been specifically designed for cleaning silver. Silver cleaning cloths should be soft and infused with anti-tarnishing agents.

If you don’t have specialist cleaners at home, then do not fear as there are household options to get your silver shining. A bowl of lukewarm water and a few drops of washing-up liquid will help remove tarnishing.

Soak the silver jewellery for ten minutes in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of washing-up liquid.
Gently scrub the silver with a soft, clean brush.
Rinse in clean, warm water.
Leave to air dry.

For more stubborn tarnishing, you can use a white vinegar and water mix.

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in a bowl.
Soak a clean toothbrush in the solution and gently brush the affected areas of silver.
Rise and leave to air dry.

How to store Jewellery?

Whether it is gold, diamond, pearls, or some other precious stones, storing your jewellery efficiently is an important part of your jewellery care. Follow the steps mentioned below and you’re good to go!

Store Jewellery in plastic boxes: This will ensure that your jewellery doesn’t get corroded. Use one plastic box for each set so that it is easy to look for them when needed. Preferably, label each plastic box to avoid confusion.
Wrap Jewellery in a thin and soft fabric: Within the plastic box, ensure that you wrap each of the earrings, bangles, rings, and necklaces in individual fabrics so that they don’t rub against each other.
Use a Jewellery case while traveling: It is important to keep jewellery safe while traveling to ensure that they don’t get damaged. It also helps to keep the jewellery case between layers of clothing.

‍

Whether it’s cleaning your jewellery or storing it for its everlasting shine and lustre, this guide compiles everything you need to know about it.