How to care for your Jewelry

General care

Proper jewelry care ensures longevity and sparkle. Here are some general tips:

 

1. Storage:  Store jewelry in separate compartments to prevent scratching. Use soft pouches or lined jewelry boxes.

   

2. Cleaning:  Regularly clean jewelry with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove oils and dirt. For deeper cleaning, use mild soap and warm water. Avoid harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners.

 

3. Avoid Exposure:  Keep jewelry away from harsh chemicals, such as chlorine and household cleaners, which can damage metals and gemstones. Remove jewelry before swimming or using cleaning products.

 

4. Avoid Impact: Remove jewelry before engaging in physical activities or manual work to prevent damage from impacts.

 

5. Professional Maintenance:  Periodically have jewelry inspected by a professional jeweler for loose stones or damaged clasps. They can also professionally clean and polish pieces.

 

6. Care for Specific Metals:  Different metals require different care. For example, sterling silver may tarnish over time and can be polished with a silver cloth, while gold can be cleaned with mild soap and water.

 

7. Gemstone Care:  Some gemstones are delicate and require special care. Research specific care instructions for each gemstone in your jewelry collection.

 

8. Avoid Heat and Sunlight:  Store jewelry away from direct sunlight and heat sources, as prolonged exposure can cause damage and discoloration.

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9. Silver & Gold

• If you need to bring that beautiful shine back to your silver or gold, the best and safest way is with a specialised polishing cloth. These cloths are impregnated with a polishing substance which will with a few rubs get the job done. These clothes are not good for stones or plated pieces.

• Silver naturally tarnishes over time due to the environment it is in. To avoid unwanted tarnish, you may keep your jewelry in a zip-lock bag that keeps the air out and tarnish away.

• Ironically the more you wear silver, the less you may have to polish it. In everyday wear it is rubbing constantly against objects which make it difficult for tarnish to even start to show.

 

10. Gold Plating

• Our plated pieces are made from sterling silver with a 24K gold plating (vermeil). This means that there is a fine layer of gold covering the silver base metal. We aim at having the best quality plating possible. At 2.5 microns our plating is thick compared to normal flash plating. This plating will last the longest if the above care instructions are followed.

• Specialised polishing clothes must not be used on plated items as they will wear away the plated layer. As mentioned 100% cotton clothes are best for lightly wiping or cleaning plated pieces.

• Excessive rubbing of any kind can also wear away the plating, so be gentle with your plated pieces of jewelry.

 

11. Red Coral (Corallium rubrum)

• Our coral is natural and just polished for shine. Following the above care instructions will ensure them to stay red and shinny.

• Coral is very sensitive to chemicals and beauty products.

• If necessary a damp cloth is the safest way to wipe the coral.

• Coral is from the sea, but ironically you shouldn’t swim with it. The polish which is added to the coral will get damaged and will have to be reapplied by a jeweler to bring back its beauty.

• A drop of olive oil on a cotton pad is a safe way to give a little shine back to coral if it has signs of dullness, otherwise it may need to be re-polished.

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Reach out & let us know if you have any further questions