Jewelry Care

General Care

• Always apply your make-up, perfume and hair products prior to putting on your jewelry
• Remove your jewelry before doing any household work or manual labor
• Remove your jewelry before swimming in a chlorine pool or using a hot tub (almost all jewelry metals are impervious to most things except chlorine- chlorine can weaken solder joints, particularly in white gold)
• Occasionally in a lab or health care setting, mercury can get on a piece of jewelry- if this happens, take the piece to your jeweler for polishing as soon as possible because the mercury can eat into and degrade the metal
• Never wear pearl earrings or necklaces when getting hair done at a salon
• Store your jewelry in pouches, boxes or ziplock bags- it is a good idea to wrap each piece individually (in tissue or cloth) to avoid scratching
• Prior to cleaning your jewelry, examine it carefully to ensure that all settings, clasps and prongs are secure- bring it to your jeweler for repair if necessary before cleaning

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Gems

Cleanliness is next to beauty in a gem. The top or crown of a gemstone acts as a window along with the bottom or pavilion facets. Light comes in the crown, bounces around the pavilion and returns to our eyes as brilliance and fire. As a gem is worn (particularly ring stones) it picks up oil and film and becomes dull.

• Home cleaning
  1. Soak your jewelry briefly in a cleaning solution made from warm water and mild dish detergent or ammonia
  2. Use a soft toothbrush to gently loosen any dirt and remove film
  3. Rinse in warm water and buff dry with a soft, lint-free cloth
• Periodically bring your jewelry in to your jeweler for a professional cleaning with an ultrasonic cleaner and steam- home versions of these are available for those who love to keep their gems at peak sparkle

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Gold and Platinum

Gold and platinum will not tarnish or discolor under normal wear, but to maintain a brilliant luster the following can be done at home:

1. Dip your jewelry in a cleaning solution made from warm water and mild dish detergent
   (a non-abrasive jewelry cleaner is available at local jewelry stores)
2. Use a soft toothbrush to gently loosen any dirt
3. Buff dry with a soft, lint-free cloth until shiny

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Silver

Silver will tarnish, particularly if not worn. Your jeweler can provide you with a treated polishing cloth to keep your silver shining, however if the tarnish is too deep the piece will need to be dipped in a cleaner or polished on a wheel by your jeweler. With many older silver pieces, it is not desirable to remove all of the oxidation- the contrast it provides enhances the beauty and design of the piece.

• Home cleaning- if using a cleaning solution, follow the same instructions as for gold and platinum, but do not soak the silver jewelry for too long as that may alter the finish

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Pearls

Pearls and coral are organic gems and are highly susceptible to all chemicals. The above General Care instructions are particularly important with regard to pearls. To keep them clean, periodically wipe them with a soft clean cotton cloth to remove any oil or dirt. When restrung, they can be thoroughly cleaned in soapy water.

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A Word On Metal Allergies

Most current jewelry alloys no longer contain nickel which is a common metal allergen, however metal allergies can occur with almost any metal, typically manifesting as a rash. It is usually the alloy material (such as copper) and not the precious metal that is at fault. (14K yellow gold is 42% copper and silver). Moving to a higher karat or purer metal will most likely take care of the problem. Sometimes (with wider rings) moisture can be trapped, causing contact dermatitis which is different from an actual allergic reaction. This can usually be alleviated by increasing slightly the size of the ring.