JEWELRY CARE TIPS
Jewelry Care Tips
Like all precious possessions, fine jewelry requires basic care to insure long lasting brilliance. This is why we offer several guidelines for jewelry care and cleaning.
It is important that you store your jewelry in a clean and dry place. Preferably inside a fabric lined jewelry case that allows for compartments and dividers. Some of our customers prefer to use ordinary boxes and this is perfectly satisfactory for jewelry care as long as you make sure to wrap each piece individually in soft tissue paper.We advocate for individual jewelry care because pieces can easily become damaged by scratching each other.
Make every effort to never leave your jewelry on the rim of a sink or anywhere where it can easily fall down a drain. This is a common tragedy and can be easily avoided.
It is important that you store your jewelry in a clean and dry place. Preferably inside a fabric lined jewelry case that allows for compartments and dividers. Some of our customers prefer to use ordinary boxes and this is perfectly satisfactory for jewelry care as long as you make sure to wrap each piece individually in soft tissue paper.We advocate for individual jewelry care because pieces can easily become damaged by scratching each other.
Make every effort to never leave your jewelry on the rim of a sink or anywhere where it can easily fall down a drain. This is a common tragedy and can be easily avoided.
Detailed tips for care and cleaning of fine jewelry and watches. Fine jewelry is meant to be worn and passed down to future generations. Taking simple steps to care for and clean your jewelry today, will help ensure that it will remain looking beautiful tomorrow. Each piece of jewelry and timepiece is individual and needs to be cared for differently. Below are detailed tips, broken down by jewelry types, to care for your precious baubles:
Diamond Jewelry
- Do not wear diamond jewelry, especially rings, when doing rough work. Even though diamond is one of the hardest materials in nature, it can still be chipped by a sharp, sudden blow.
- Chlorine can damage and discolor the mounting on your diamond jewelry. Keep your diamond away from chlorine bleach or other household chemicals. You should also remove your diamond jewelry before entering a chlorinated pool or hot tub.
- Clean your diamonds regularly using a commercial jewelry cleaner, a mix of ammonia and water, or a mild detergent. Dip the jewelry into the solution and use a soft brush to dislodge dust or dirt from under the setting.
- Always thoroughly rinse and dry your jewelry after cleaning and before storage.
- Avoid touching your clean diamonds with your fingers. Handle clean jewelry by its edges.
Colored Gemstones
- Many natural gemstones are treated or enhanced from the time they are extracted from the earth by one or more traditionally accepted jewelry industry practices. These treatments and enhancements can affect how you should clean and care for your colored gemstone jewelry. Consult your jeweler for more information on caring for treated or enhanced gemstones.
- After wearing, wipe your precious gemstone jewelry thoroughly with a clean, soft, slightly damp cloth. This will enhance the luster of the gemstones and ensure that your jewelry is clean before storage.
- Store gemstone pieces individually in soft pouches. You should be able to obtain these from your jeweler.
- Do not expose your precious gemstone pieces to saltwater or harsh chemicals, such as chlorine or detergents. These chemicals may slowly erode the finish and polish of gemstones.
- Hair spray, perfume and perspiration may cause jewelry to become dull. Apply all cosmetics, perfumes and colognes before putting on colored gemstone jewelry. Make sure to wipe your gemstones after wear to remove any chemicals, oils or perspiration.
- Do not subject gemstone jewelry to sudden temperature changes.
- If you have an active lifestyle, take extra precautions with some types of gemstone jewelry. Emeralds, for example, are brittle and should not be worn when doing household chores or any other activity where the stone could be hit or damaged.
- Be extra careful with ultrasonic cleaners. Some gemstones are fragile and can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners. Consult your jeweler for the best cleaning procedure for your particular gemstone jewelry. Your jeweler is also a good source for any information on colored gemstones.
- Almost all colored stone jewelry can be safely cleaned using a mild soap and water solution and a soft brush.
- Always thoroughly rinse and dry your jewelry after cleaning and before storage.
Karat Gold Jewelry
- Remove all gold jewelry before showering or cleaning. Soap can cause a film to form on karat gold jewelry, making it appear dull and dingy. By preventing the formation of this film, you immediately reduce the frequency with which your pieces will need to be cleaned.
- To clean your jewelry at home, you’ll find many commercial cleaners available. In addition, you will find a soft chamois cloth an effective and inexpensive way to keep your pieces lustrous and shining. • Ask your jeweler to recommend both of these items for you.
- For certain gold jewelry, especially pieces that do not contain colored gemstones, an ultrasonic cleaning machine may be appropriate. Once again, ask your jeweler to advise you.
- Be careful of chlorine. Chlorine, especially at high temperatures, can permanently damage or discolor your gold jewelry. Do not wear gold jewelry while using chlorine bleach or while in a pool or hot tub.
- You can remove tarnish with jewelry cleaner, or by using soap and water mixed with a few drops of ammonia. Carefully brush with a soft bristle brush. An old toothbrush can also be used. After the brushing, simply rinse with lukewarm water and allow to dry. If there is a heavy tarnish on your jewelry, consult your jeweler for the best cleaning procedure. You should also talk to your jeweler before attempting to clean any karat gold jewelry set with colored gemstones, because some stones require special cleaning procedures.
- Grease can be removed from karat gold jewelry by dipping the jewelry into plain rubbing alcohol. Again, check with your jeweler about colored gemstone pieces.
Platinum
- Platinum jewelry can be cleaned in the same manner as other fine jewelry. Your jeweler can recommend a prepackaged jewelry cleaner that works with platinum, or ask your jeweler to professionally clean your platinum pieces. A professional cleaning every six months will keep your platinum jewelry in great shape.
- Store your platinum jewelry separately and with care, not allowing pieces to touch each other, because even platinum can be scratched.
- Signs of wear, such as scratches, can eventually appear on platinum. However, due to the metal’s durability there is usually little metal loss from the scratch. If visible scratches do appear, your jeweler should be able to re-polish the piece.
- If your platinum is set with diamonds or other precious stones, be especially careful, as these materials can be more susceptible to damage. Some fine jewelry pieces combine platinum with karat gold jewelry. Care for these pieces as you would your gold jewelry or consult your jeweler.
Sterling Silver Jewelry
- Clean your silver jewelry with a mild soap and water solution, allowing the water to bead up, and then pat dry with a soft cloth. For more stubborn dirt, use jewelry cleaner designed for silver use. Ask your jeweler to recommend an appropriate brand.
- Store your silver in a cool, dry place, preferably in a tarnish-preventive bag or wrapped in a soft piece of felt or cloth. Store pieces individually, so that they don’t knock together and scratch.
- Do not rub silver with anything other than a polishing cloth or a fine piece of felt. Your jeweler should be able to provide these. Tissue paper or paper towels can cause scratches because of the fibers in these products.
- Make sure your silver is not exposed to air and light during storage – this can cause silver to tarnish. And don’t wear sterling silver in chlorinated water or when working with household chemicals.
Cultured Pearls
- Apply cosmetics, hair sprays and perfume before putting on any pearl jewelry. When you remove the jewelry, wipe it carefully with a soft cloth to remove any traces of these substances.
- You can also wash your pearl jewelry with mild soap and water. Do not clean cultured pearls with any chemicals, abrasives or solvents. These substances can damage your pearls.
- Always lay cultured pearl strands flat to dry. Hanging a strand may stretch the threads.
- Do not toss your cultured pearl jewelry 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 jewelry pieces.
- Place cultured pearls in a chamois bag or wrap them in tissue when putting them away.
- Cosmetics, perspiration, oils and ordinary wear weaken and stretch the threads on which the pearls are strung. Bring your pearls back to your jeweler for restringing once a year. Make certain the pearls are strung with a knot between each pearl. This will prevent loss of pearls if the string should break.
Watches
- No matter how handy you are, don’t attempt to perform watch repairs yourself. Only an expert jeweler/watchmaker should be trusted to put your watch back into working condition.
- Give your watch a quick check on a regular basis, making sure that the strap or bracelet is securely attached to the watch face.
- A mechanical watch should be checked regularly by your jeweler/watchmaker or an authorized dealer and serviced according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- Wind your watch in a clockwise direction, preferably about the same time each day. Remove the watch from your wrist when winding so as not to place undue pressure on the stem.
- Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately. Even a hairline crack can let dust and moisture into the timekeeping mechanism, threatening its accuracy.
- Unless the degree of water-resistance is clearly specified when you purchase your watch, do not wear it into the shower or pool, or on a moist wrist.
- Have your jeweler/watchmaker or an authorized watch dealer replace the battery in a quartz watch before it runs out. Dead batteries left in the watch can leak or corrode, ruining the timepiece. Do not attempt to change the battery in a watch yourself. If your watch is water-resistant, a water-resistance test should be performed after the battery has been replaced to ensure that water will not leak into and damage the watch.
- Battery life varies considerably according to the type of watch and its functions. Refer to your owner’s manual for more information.
- Oils from your skin can build up on a watch. If your watch is water-resistant, you can give it a quick cleaning with a mixture of warm water and either a mild soap or a dish detergent. Dry the watch with a soft cloth after cleaning. If your watch has a strap made out of leather or another material, you should clean only the watch face and not the strap.
- If your watch is not water-resistant, or you’re not sure, do not immerse it in water. Clean the piece with a slightly damp cloth and then dry.
The value of gold
Know Your Karats
Note: Don’t be confused with “carats,” the weight and measure used for diamonds and other gems.
Look for the karat mark, which will tell you that the piece is real gold and the percentage of pure gold it contains. Pure gold or 24K has a deeply warm and rich color, but it is extremely soft and easily damaged. For this reason, pieces made from pure gold take on unique stamps of individuality with wear. Oftentimes, gold is alloyed with other metals, such as copper, silver, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability. Different proportions of these alloys also give gold its rose, green or white coloration. 18K gold is 75% gold; 14K is 58.5%; and 10K is 41.6%. The higher the karatage, the richer the color will be and the more costly. In the U.S. jewelry must be at least 10K to be legally sold as real gold.
However in Canada and Mexico, the minimum legal standard of karatage is 9K and 8K respectively. Imported gold jewelry may be stamped with different numbers. For example, the European marking for 14 karat gold jewelry is 585; for 18K it is 750.
Look for the trademark
On karat-marked jewelry sold in the U.S., always look for the manufacturer’s trademark. By U.S. law it must be there. When there’s a hallmark, it means the manufacturer stands behind the accuracy of the karat mark. You may also find the country of origin marked
Evaluate the price
In addition to karat weight, the price of gold jewelry is determined by several factors: total weight; design and construction; and ornamental detailing, such as engraving or Florentine finish. Although nearly all gold jewelry today is made with the help of special machines, some handwork is always involved. The more there is, the higher the price.
Know Your Karats
Note: Don’t be confused with “carats,” the weight and measure used for diamonds and other gems.
Look for the karat mark, which will tell you that the piece is real gold and the percentage of pure gold it contains. Pure gold or 24K has a deeply warm and rich color, but it is extremely soft and easily damaged. For this reason, pieces made from pure gold take on unique stamps of individuality with wear. Oftentimes, gold is alloyed with other metals, such as copper, silver, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability. Different proportions of these alloys also give gold its rose, green or white coloration. 18K gold is 75% gold; 14K is 58.5%; and 10K is 41.6%. The higher the karatage, the richer the color will be and the more costly. In the U.S. jewelry must be at least 10K to be legally sold as real gold.
However in Canada and Mexico, the minimum legal standard of karatage is 9K and 8K respectively. Imported gold jewelry may be stamped with different numbers. For example, the European marking for 14 karat gold jewelry is 585; for 18K it is 750.
Look for the trademark
On karat-marked jewelry sold in the U.S., always look for the manufacturer’s trademark. By U.S. law it must be there. When there’s a hallmark, it means the manufacturer stands behind the accuracy of the karat mark. You may also find the country of origin marked
Evaluate the price
In addition to karat weight, the price of gold jewelry is determined by several factors: total weight; design and construction; and ornamental detailing, such as engraving or Florentine finish. Although nearly all gold jewelry today is made with the help of special machines, some handwork is always involved. The more there is, the higher the price.