Taking Care of Your Jewellery

Basic Jewellery Care

Our jewellery is crafted to last, however, with normal wear proper care is required to keep it in a perfect shape. As a result, we've created this Basic Jewellery Care Guide to direct you in the proper care of your Jewellery. We hope that you'll find these guidelines helpful.

Wearing Jewellery

Jewellery is worn by millions of people every day, but few recognize how they can preserve their treasures by using some simple advanced planning and thought. Here are some basic guidelines to consider when wearing jewellery:

• Remove Jewellery During Tasks – When performing manual tasks, remove your jewellery to prevent physical damage or exposure to chemicals or cleaning fluids. Some tasks that should be avoided when wearing jewellery include kitchen work, gardening, cleaning the house and other common tasks.
• Put Jewellery On After Applying Makeup – Cosmetics, hairspray, perfumes and lotion can contain chemicals that can often damage jewellery. Putting jewellery on after applying these materials will limit exposure to jewellery and any potential damage.
• Don't Wear Jewellery In Swimming Pools and Spas – Chlorinated water can react with the metals found in jewellery causing colour changes and even structural damage. As a result, it's a good idea to remove jewellery before entering the pool or spa.
• Contact Sports and Jewellery Don't Mix– Hard blows during sports can damage Jewellery not to mention the people involved. All jewellery should be removed before play begins.

Cleaning Jewellery

For those that wear jewellery regularly, keeping their jewellery clean and looking good requires regular effort. Here are some general guidelines that may help:

• Remove Your Jewellery Before Bathing
  Remove all jewellery before showering or cleaning. Soap can cause a film to form, making it appear dull and dingy. By preventing the formation of this film you immediately reduce the occasions of servicing.

• Use Jewellery Polishing Cloths for Best Results
  Polish silver or gold with a jewellery polishing cloth for best results. Professional cloths are the best for this. The use of tissue or paper towels can cause scratches because of fibres in these products.

• Clean Your Jewellery With Care 
  Cleaning your jewellery regularly can keep it looking good, but be careful. You can either purchase commercial cleaners from a jeweller or make a cleaning solution yourself. Rubbing alcohol can work wonders, but bleach can destroy jewellery so avoid it at all costs.

• Use Warm Water to Clean Jewellery 
  Using warm water is the best bet when cleaning your jewellery. How water can cause a reaction with the cleaning fluids resulting in discolouration and Sterling Silver is especially susceptible to this problem. Should this occur, this problem can be remedied by buffing and the application of a tarnish remover.

• Avoid Cleaning Damaged Jewellery 
  Never clean any jewellery that is damaged, cracked or broken, since the additional handling is likely to exacerbate or worsen the problem. If you find that a piece of jewellery is damaged, it should be set aside for repair as soon as possible.

• Inspect Your Jewellery Regularly
  Just like anything else, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When having your jewellery professionally cleaned, it's a good idea to have each item checked and inspected for any possible problems. Addressing signs of damage, or loose gemstones will prevent any further damage or loss and keep all of your pieces in excellent shape for years.

Storing Jewellery

Anyone that has a collection of jewellery can appreciate how difficult it can often be to keep it organized. To improve the enjoyment of your jewellery, we've assembled these suggestions that should keep your jewellery organized and orderly:

• Keep Your Jewellery Secure 
  Store your jewellery in a container and prevent pieces from moving around. While fabric-lined jewellery boxes are ideal, this can be as simple as using a shoebox and pieces of fabric.

• Prevent Your Jewellery from Tarnishing 
  Sometimes jewellery tarnishes went it's not worn, especially silver and gold. To maintain the lustre of your jewellery, place silver anti-tarnish strips in your storage container to absorb the oxidants that discolour and tarnish jewellery.

• When Travelling with Jewellery, Use a Case 
  Travelling can be tough on jewellery, so it's wise to use a travel case to protect your favourite pieces. Traditionally made of fabric or leather, a jewellery travel case can carry jewellery of all types and easily rolls up to a size that's easily stored in most suitcases, makeup cases or business attaches. A case like this is a good investment to protect your jewellery on the road.