General Jewellery Care

Over time, fine jewellery can become a treasured family heirloom if it is cared for properly. Dust, pollution and daily wear all conspire to cloud the brilliance of gemstones. The surface of gold, platinum and silver jewellery can become dull. Timeworn prongs and clasps can result in the loss of a stone or even an entire piece of jewellery.

Weekly Care

To prevent the build-up of soap, dirt and dust, jewellery made from gold, silver, diamonds and most coloured stones should be cleaned with warm water and mild dish soap weekly, delicately brushing them with an extra soft toothbrush, rinsing well and drying with a soft lint-free cloth. This technique is not recommended for jewellery with organic stones such as amber, pearls, coral, jade, lapis-lazuli, opals and turquoise.

Emeralds are the most delicate precious stones due to natural inclusions and fissures, so take care to avoid any impacts and extreme variations in temperatures.  Emeralds should not come into contact with detergents as they could lose their colour and lustre.

Pearls are porous organic products that can easily deteriorate if not properly cared for. Avoid contact with oils, perspiration and detergent. Clean by gently wiping them with a soft fabric cloth. Pearls worn often should be restrung once a year.

Yearly Care

We encourage you to bring your jewellery back to us for professional servicing once a year to preserve its beauty. Shiny, satin and matte finishes as well as oxidised finishes and electroplating are all surface treatments which can fade over time. Our expert technicians are experienced in all aspects of jewellery care, including cleaning, polishing, resurfacing, restringing pearls and repairing clasps and earring backs.

Storing your jewellery

Always store your jewels individually in pouches or boxes to prevent scratches and excessive tarnishing.

Special care should be taken to slow tarnishing and oxidisation of silver jewellery. Frequent cleaning and polishing of silver jewels will preserve their lustre.

A word of caution about ultrasonic cleaners

Ultrasonic cleaning is best left to jewellery professionals who know about individual gem materials and understand when and how to use an ultrasonic cleaner safely.

Ultrasonic cleaners should never be used to clean gemstones with surface-reaching breaks that have been filled with a substance such as oil, resin or a glass-like material. Also to be avoided are organic gem materials such as pearls, coral, amber, jade, lapis-lazuli, opals and turquoise; gems that have been coated with a non-permanent substance like plastic or wax; some heat treated gems and some that are susceptible to heat and temperature changes such as tanzanite, feldspar (sunstone and moonstone), fluorite, iolite, kunzite,  malachite, topaz, zircon and others. The vibration generated by an ultrasonic machine can also shake gems loose or chip gems that are set with their girdles touching.