WEARING

Proper wear is important in caring for your jewellery. This means knowing when to put them on, when to take them off.  

1. Put your jewellery on AFTER applying makeup, perfume, hairspray and lotions. Limit the handling of your gems and pearls as skin oil can build up over time and dull their appearance.

2. Remove your jewellery when you do your housework or other manual labour. A bracelet can be easily broken or bent if it catches on a hook. Gems, even diamonds, can chip or crack if they're knocked against a hard surface. Harsh solvents used in cleaning are not good for any kind of jewellery, especially pearls.

3. Remove your jewellery while you are having your hair styled as harsh chemicals and colouring agents can mar the luster of your jewellery especially pearls.

4. Wear your bracelet on your left-hand if you are right-handed, as you don’t use your left hand as much as your right. The opposite applies if you are left-hande

CLEANING

A regular cleaning and inspection is one of the best things you can do for your jewelry. Not only does it keep your jewellry looking great, it gives us a chance to look for problems like bent clasps and loose prongs before the jewellery breaks. 

Here are some things you can do to keep your jewellery clean in between professional cleanings. .

Diamonds and Coloured Gems
Soak your jewellery in a bowl of warm, soapy water for several minutes and then use a soft, non-metallic brush to remove any grime. If you use a jewellery cleanser, make sure it is non-abrasive. Avoid touching the gemstone as much as possible. Do not clean the item in the sink as too often it ends up down the drainpipe.

Pearls
Pearls are organic, and is easily dulled or even eaten away by chemicals and alcohol. Wash them only in very mild, soapy water. It is good to bring your pearl strands in for restringing every couple of years, if you wear them often.

Metals
For mountings, you can use rubbing alcohol to dissolve some of the stickier grime. However, do not use alcohol on any kind of pearl jewellery. Soap and water and a soft brush will take care of most of your cleaning needs. Make sure the brush is VERY soft when used on metal, especially gold, which can be scratched relatively easily. Use a soft cloth that won’t leave fuzz or threads behind to dry and buff your jewellery once it's cleaned.

STORAGE

Improper storage can damage your jewellery. Wrap individual pieces in tissue or cloth or put them in separate compartments in a jewellery box. Be extra careful with pearl jewelry since it is soft and scratches more easily than gems and metals.

Diamonds are the hardest substance on Earth, but it can be scratched by another diamond, and it will scratch other softer stones as well as gold and even platinum. Therefore it is important that all your pieces don’t come into contact with each other.

REPAIRING

Preventive repair is best. When you schedule your cleaning with your jeweller every year, get the jeweller to check for signs of wear and tear or damange - loose mountings, bent clasps and so forth.