Top Tips to Help You Care for Your Jewellery 

If you care and treat your precious jewellery well it will bring you pleasure for many years to come. We recommend that you have your jewellery professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year but are also some simple things that you can do at home to help your precious jewellery look its very best for even longer. Here are our top tips for caring for your jewellery:  

Always store pieces of jewellery separately 

Different gemstones have different hardness and can easily scratch or knock each other if stored together so think about how you store items of jewellery. Keeping your pieces of jewellery in separate soft-lined compartments is the ideal method of storage so try to keep the boxes and packaging that it came in as this is the easiest and often the best way to protect your jewellery from dust and damage. This will not prevent silver from oxidising, so possibly consider storing items in airtight bags to minimise this, while silica gel packs will absorb moisture and sulphur in the air that can cause jewellery to lose its shine. All Jewellery should always be stored away from direct sunlight, damp, and extremes of heat or cold.  Wrap gold, silver, precious and semi-precious items in acid-free tissue or cotton to keep them away from dust and moisture. Take extra care with pearls, which are soft and vulnerable to scratches and other damage. Always ensure that any fastenings are closed so items do not tangle or catch each other. 

Wear with care 

When getting dressed always put your jewellery on last so that your clothes do not catch on it. Apply makeup and hairspray first so that these do not contaminate your jewels, making sure to let everything dry before adding the finishing touches. When your hair is being styled, remove earrings so that they are not caught on combs or brushes and avoid pearl earrings or necklaces if you are having hair coloured, as the chemicals can cause discolouration; remove rings and bangles when having your nails manicured.  Be especially careful to remove jewellery before doing any manual work, including housework, as it can be damaged by knocks and household cleaners. Diamond rings in particular may be chipped by a hard blow. 

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Beware contamination 

Some chemical agents and even water can cause discoloration and tarnishing of jewellery. Soap, cosmetics, cooking grease, and natural skin oils can dull any jewellery and should also be avoided. If your jewellery does come into contact with water, or any chemicals, use a dry soft tissue or towel to gently pat them dry. Household cleaners, chemicals in makeup, hair products and perfumes can all tarnish or damage jewellery.  When handling diamonds, other gemstones and pearls touch them with your fingers as little as possible, as this will avoid the natural oils from your skin dulling and damaging them. In addition, water can damage the threading or setting of jewellery; so avoid getting threaded pearls or beaded jewellery wet, and never wet antique items without getting specialist advice first.  

Gentle cleaning 

We highly recommend that you occasionally gently clean your jewellery to remove any oils, dust or contamination. If you are not sure how fragile a piece is, always err on the side of caution and use simple, non-abrasive materials like soap and water, with a soft toothbrush. Be careful not to rub or to over-handle your jewellery. Silver-dip type cleaners should only be used to clean silver jewellery, which must be rinsed and dried thoroughly afterwards. Gold, platinum and gemstone jewellery can be cleaned using specialist jewellery cleaners, as appropriate. 

Make sure that  your jewellery is insured 

The future cannot be predicted and no matter how well you care for your jewellery like any item it can be liable to damage, theft or accidental loss. Ensuring that your jewellery is insured not only protects you from the financial repercussions of having to replace or repair that beautiful diamond engagement ring, it gives you peace of mind.   

Visit a professional jeweller at least once a year 

If in doubt, seek professional advice rather than experimenting. We offer an expert jewellery cleaning service, and suggest that you bring your jewellery to us at least once a year as some pieces of jewellery can be especially delicate or require a specialist’s touch. We believe that all jewellery benefits from being cleaned and inspected professionally; dirt, marks, blemishes or scratches acquired through age or everyday wear can easily be removed to return a treasured piece to its former glory. It also gives us the chance to check your precious jewellery for any damage that you may not have noticed.