Did you know
that a professional jeweller should check stone set rings at the
very least twice a year? This is of particular importance if they are
worn everyday. Periodic inspections will insure the stones aren't
loose and that the prong tips aren't too worn.
Caring for
jewellery is a necessary part of owning fine jewellery. With proper
care, your jewellery will bring you continued satisfaction of
ownership over many years.
Some tips to remember when caring
for your jewellery include:
Avoid wearing fine jewellery when
you're performing manual labour tasks, such as housework and
gardening.
Do not wear your jewellery to bed.
Tossing and turning can cause chains to stretch and break, and
prongs on rings to catch and possibly break.
Do not wear your jewellery in the
shower or while bathing. Water beating down can cause chains to
stretch, and some bathing soap can be harsh and cause a film to
appear and buildup on stones. Take note especially if you have hard
water.
Clean your jewellery periodically.
This will ensure its fine appearance and will help it last longer.
To clean soak your rings overnight in a solution of warm, mild soapy
water. In the morning simply brush them with a soft toothbrush and
rinse. They will sparkle like new.
Use a soft brush to help remove
dirt on the prongs of larger gem jewellery.
Use plain alcohol to help reduce
greasy film on diamond jewellery prior to any other cleaning done.
Take rings off before using hand
creams and lotions, to prevent a buildup of oil and the dirt it
attracts.
Put your jewellery items on after
you've applied makeup, perfume and hairspray. Chemicals in these
products are destructive to gold and silver as well as many kinds of
gems.
Store jewellery away from sunlight and extreme heat as this
may fade some gemstones.
Tips for general care of your
pearl jewellery:
Cultured pearls are precious jewels and
should be treated as such. They're also the products of living
creatures. Cultured pearls are formed when an irritant is introduced
into a mollusk. The mollusk secretes a substance called nacre, which
covers the irritant and produces the pearl. Nacre gives pearls the
rainbow of colors and luster that makes these gemstones so
treasured, but its delicate nature also makes pearls particularly
susceptible to damage. For this reason you should be extra careful
with your cultured pearl jewellery.
Apply cosmetics, hair sprays and
perfume before putting on any pearl jewellery. When you remove the
jewellery, wipe it carefully with a soft cloth to remove any traces
of these substances.
You can also wash your pearl
jewellery with mild soap and water. Do not clean cultured pearls
with any chemicals, abrasives or solvents. These substances can
damage your pearls.
Do not toss your cultured pearl
jewellery carelessly into a purse, bag or jewel box. A pearl's
surface is soft and can be scratched by hard metal edges or by the
harder gemstones of other jewellery pieces.
Place cultured pearl jewellery in a chamois bag or wrap them
in tissue when putting them away.
Perspiration, cosmetics, and perfume can damage pearls. Therefore,
they should be cleaned by gently rubbing with a damp cloth. A brush
should not be used because it could scratch the surface of the pearl.
Take care not to get them wet, because water could get into the drill
hole and cause the pearl to discolor. Also, if the thread becomes
overly wet, the dampness can cause deterioration of the string.
Restring your pearls periodically. Pearls should always be strung
with knots tied in the space separating each pearl to prevent them
from rubbing against each other or from scattering in the event the
string would break.
Chemicals and Fine Jewellery
We want to remind you that
wearing gold jewellery while swimming in chlorinated pools, hot tubs
or using laundry bleaches can cause a chemical reaction between the
chlorine and the alloy metals in gold jewellery and certain jewellery
items actually disintegrate over time. You shouldn't swim in
chlorinated pools or hot tubs whilst wearing jewellery. We also
strongly recommend against handling bleach if the ring could not be
rinsed off immediately.
Gold jewellery when exposed to
chlorine, bromine, and household bleach will turn black and small
hairline cracks develop after only a few hours. This has
erroneously been blamed on poor quality jewellery. In reality, it was
due to the ring's long-term exposure to chlorine.
