Jewellery Care

Taking Care of Your Jewellery

When you have received your lovely jewellery, no matter how much it costs or what it is made from, you will love it and cherish it. To help you look after it and keep it in the best condition we have put a few tips and suggestions together for you.

Silver Jewellery Care And Cleaning

Tarnish is a product of oxidation, caused by the interaction of silver jewellery with certain elements such as oxygen or sulfur as well as with certain acids. Tarnishing on silver jewelry, when worn on a regular basis, usually does not occur. Storage for a prolonged time causes silver jewelry to tarnish. Contact with rubber bands may cause tarnish - the sulfur in rubber is a catalyst for tarnish. Taking a medication that changes the acidity of your skin may cause silver jewelry to tarnish.

To keep your silver tarnish-free, frequently clean your silver in a mild dishwashing liquid diluted in water. Thoroughly dry your silver jewellery after exposure to water. Store silver in a dry container or a plastic bag with anti-tarnish paper.

To remove tarnish or oxidation film from silver you can use fresh, uncontaminated commercial silver dip liquid, polish paste or polish cloth, available in jewelry supply or hardware stores. Make sure there are no loose stones or parts. Limit the gemstone's exposure to silver cleaners - cleaners may harm certain kinds of gemstones. Please read the cleaning product's instructions before cleaning. Thoroughly rinse jewelry after cleaning, and dry with a soft cloth until it's completely dry.

Fine Jewellery Care & Cleaning

Jewellery and gemstones require special care when wearing, storing, or cleaning. Here are some Do's and Don'ts:

Don't wear fine jewellery when doing housework or gardening.

Don't heap your jewellery into one drawer.

Remember a diamond ring can scratch that pearl necklace.

Keep them separate and ideally wrapped in velvet, paper, or silk.

Pearl care guidelines

Freshwater pearls are delicate items which can be harmed unless looked after correctly. The products that harm pearls the most are the perfumes, hair sprays, cosmetics and make up that we wear every day. Along with other household chemicals, if sprayed near pearls these products can build up on the pearl and damage the surface of the pearl. The surface can become marked, dull, pitted and lose that luminous lustre that defines a freshwater pearl.

Put your pearls on after you have applied make-up, perfume and hair sprays.
Don’t spray perfume on the neck area where the pearls will actually sit.
Avoid touching your pearls when you have just applied hand cream and remove your pearls before applying cleansers or night creams.
Put them back in their original container, or a velvet lined box. Never store them in plastic.
Do not put your pearls anywhere hot as the heat will discolour them. Do not steam clean them for the same reason.
Do not clean pearls using any of the jewellery cleaners made for gold or silver jewellery.
Also do not use the ultrasonic cleaning sets as the vibrations can cause the pearls to rub against each other.

By following these basic guidelines, your will ensure that your freshwater pearls stay as beautiful as they are when you receive them.