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How to Care for Your Jewelry
Cautions when Cleaning Jewelry and Gemstones
Please review the following suggestions and recommendations for the proper cleaning, storage, shipping, daily wear and preventative maintenance for your jewelry. These suggestions are not intended to be all-inclusive and only provide helpful considerations for your benefit.
Cleaning: An annual cleaning by a professional jeweler is highly recommended. A trained professional will also be able to detect any wear and tear that needs to be addressed. Between professional cleanings, here are some suggestions for keeping your jewelry clean and looking its best:
Metals: Use rubbing alcohol to dissolve grime. Soap and water and a soft brush will be sufficient for most cleaning needs. The brush should be VERY soft when used on metal, especially gold, which can be scratched very easily. Metals with a brushed matte finish should not be scrubbed. Instead use a soft cloth and gently clean with rubbing alcohol.
Diamonds: Use a soft-bristled non-metallic brush and a mild ammonia and water solution. Gently remove any grime, paying particular attention to the prongs or other settings where residue is most likely to build up. Diamonds often have a layer of skin oil even when they appear to be clean and will shine more brilliantly after a cleaning. Avoid touching the diamond as much as possible to reduce build-up of skin oils.
Gemstones: If gemstones are strung with metal wire or set in metal, soak the piece in a bowl of warm, soapy water for several minutes and then use a soft, non-metallic brush to remove any grime. Avoid harsh chemical jewelry cleaners. DO NOT clean jewelry in the sink to avoid loosing gems in the drainpipe.
Gems requiring special care: Some gemstones are treated or enhanced by heating, oiling, irradiation or diffusion. Heated and irradiated stones generally don’t require special care when cleaning, but diffused stones can erode slightly if scrubbed too hard. Soft stones like lapis, malachite, turquoise and amber can easily be scratched by contact with hard, sharp, abrasive materials -- even other jewelry. Protect these gems by wrapping them in jeweler's tissue and storing separately.
Emeralds: the oil on an emerald’s surface can be stripped away by cleaning, dulling the emerald’s shine. If this occurs, bring it a professional jeweler for re-oiling.
Pearls: Pearls are an organic compound composed of nacre layers which are soft and easily dulled, damaged or eroded by perfumes and chemicals. DO NOT use alcohol on any kind of pearl jewelry. ONLY wash cultured pearls in very mild, soapy water. It is highly recommended that you restring cultured pearls every year, especially if they are worn often.
Opals: Never use chemicals or an ultrasonic cleaner and avoid heat. Exposure to strong sunlight can dry out the natural moisture in opals, which can cause hazing or color change.
SPECIAL CAUTIONS: If gemstones are strung with silk or other thread DO NOT soak the piece in water. Instead clean with a soft cloth or take it to a professional jeweler for cleaning. Silk-strung gems should be restrung annually to avoid thread breakage due to daily wear and tear. Ultrasonic Cleaners use sound waves to clean jewelry. The vibrations shake off dirt, but can cause serious damage. The inclusions in gemstones, especially brittle stones like emeralds, can be greatly enlarged by the process, making the stones less attractive and even less valuable. Soft gems like pearls should never be put in an ultrasonic cleaner. We recommend against using the ultrasonic cleaners now available to consumers.
Shipping: When possible, use a box designed to hold the specific type of jewelry you are sending. Otherwise, wrap each piece individually in cloth and fill empty spaces in the shipping container with newsprint or bubble wrap to keep jewelry from shifting. Use a shipping method that allows tracking, such as Federal Express or UPS. Always buy insurance for valuable jewelry.
Storage: Jewelry can be damaged if not stored properly. Diamond jewelry can scratch other diamonds and softer stones as well as gold and platinum. Always store your jewelry so pieces DO NOT come in contact with each other. Wrap pieces in tissue or cloth or put them in separate compartments in a jewelry box. Be especially careful with pearl jewelry which scratches more easily than gems and metals.
Daily wear: Always put jewelry on AFTER applying makeup, perfume and hairspray. Handle gems and pearls as little as possible, since skin oil can build up over time and dull the finish. After each wearing, gently wipe off excess make-up and skin oils using a nub free, 100% cotton cloth. Remove your jewelry when doing any manual labor, including housework. Gems, even diamonds, can chip or crack if knocked against a hard surface.
Always remove your rings and fine jewelry before using any product that contains bleach! Bleach can cause gold and other metal alloys to breakdown leaving the metal irreparably damaged. This includes swimming pools and bathing in hot tubs as chlorine products are added to prevent bacteria growth.
Besides chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone, and ammonia can cause extensive damage -- even pitting the surface on softer gemstones. Petroleum based products can actually "melt" amber if allowed to remain on the stone and they can do significant damage to pearls. Avoid any direct contact with harsh solvents used in cleaning, which are particularly harmful to pearls.
Remove earrings while having your hair styled. Never wear pearl earrings or necklaces while having your hair colored. Many coloring agents contain alcohol and other chemicals that can dull the luster of the pearls. If you're right-handed, consider wearing a bracelet or watch on your left wrist – or your right wrist if you're left-handed.
Repairs/Preventative Maintenance: Damaged jewelry should be repaired by a professional jeweler as soon as possible, especially if chain links or silk strings have broken or gems have fallen out. The longer you delay, the more likely it is that additional gems or links will be lost and more damage will be incurred. Preventative repair and maintenance is highly recommended. Schedule an annual cleaning and have your jeweler check for any signs of wear, like loose stone mountings or bent clasps and promptly replace them.
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