Jewellery Care Guide

Jewellery is often sentimental, full of emotion and can be seen as a financial investment. It’s therefore key to look after it and make sure it can continue to tell your story for generations to come. Regardless of whether it’s an engagement ring, gold bracelet or pearl earrings, have a read through

Below are some general tips to help you confidently look after your new jewellery.

General Advice

Having your jewellery checked by a professional regularly is a good idea and may be a part of your insurance requirements. They’ll be able to tell you if you have any loose stones or settings issues with a claw, prong, hinge or joint or if there is any repair work that needs to be done. SFFJ will check any ring that we have designed and made, free of charge for the first 3 years.
If in doubt – take it off. If you’re partaking in any activity that could damage, knock or scratch it, then remove the jewellery and put it somewhere safe.
Take it off for activities such as swimming, washing up or cleaning. The chemicals can have an adverse effect on the stones and the metal. Opals, pearls and other organic gemstones are very vulnerable to acids and water.
Avoid applying lotions and perfumes when wearing your jewellery. Apply before and then put on your jewellery.
When storing your jewellery, try and keep everything separate so that gems and metals don’t rub and scratch each other. Fasten chains, necklaces and bracelets to avoid them all tangling together. A soft lines box is ideal.
Where you store your jewellery, keep it out of sunlight and excessively hot or damp conditions.
It’s advisable to remove jewellery when you go to bed, but this is often ignored! You may accidentally catch, snag, knock or lose a gemstone or item of jewellery.
If you want to wear your item everyday, it's advisable to state that this is your intention. Some designs, stones and metals will lend themselves better to everyday use than others.

Diamond Cleaning

It may seem that because diamonds are seen as so robust that you don’t need to be careful when cleaning them, but they can still fracture and be scratched by other diamonds. Oil from fingers, grime, soap and other dust can quickly build up on a diamond and impact its sparkle and brilliance.
When storing the diamond, try keeping the jewellery in small plastic bags or fabric pouches.
An effective and cheap way to clean your diamonds is by using warm water a few drops of washing up liquid. This will help degrease the diamond and get back the brilliance! Use a soft toothbrush, like a baby one, and gently clean the setting. Do be careful though, as some settings can be fragile. Leave to air dry or use a lint free cloth.
Do not be tempted to use bleach or other harsh abrasives as this will damage the metal the stone is set in.

Gemstone Cleaning

Before cleaning your jewellery it’s important to know what your gemstone is and how best to care for it.
Some coloured gemstones have been treated to change their appearance. Sometimes, these treatments can be impacted by cleaning products.
Do not use hot or boiling water as some gems are susceptible to heat. Warm water is best!
Some stones, like emeralds have been oiled or filled to improve their colour and appearance, so aggressive cleaning, steam or ultrasonic can affect the stone.
Most coloured gems will be fine to be cleaned with warm water and washing up liquid.
Use a soft or baby toothbrush.
Some gems are better off in cold water, like malachite. If in doubt, check with Sophie and she’ll be happy to help.

Organic Gems

Pearls, opals and amber are all organic and have a different chemical composition to mineral gemstones like rubies and sapphires. This means they must be cared for in a different way.
Most organic gems are much softer and are easily damaged or scratched.
Do not put them in water to clean them, but instead use a soft, damp cloth to clean each stone individually.
Try not to pull strung gems through a cloth as you run the risk of damaging or stretching the string.
Dry with a lint free cloth, paying extra attention to the drill holes where the knots can cause discolouration with a build-up of moisture.
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, steam or boiling water to clean organic gems and you will damage them.

Gold Cleaning

Daily wear and dirty can quickly build up even on plain gold jewellery. However, gold is a soft metal that can easily be scratched so be gentle when cleaning and drying.
If there are gemstones within the gold, refer to the section on the gem and how best to clean it.
Use warm water with washing up liquid and soak your jewellery for several minutes to help release any dirt. Gently clean with a soft toothbrush, paying attention to clasps and hard to reach places.
Rinse thoroughly in clean water to remove any remaining residue and soap.
Air dry or use a lint free cloth.