Jewelry care
Jewelry cleaning
Lotions, soaps, powders, perfumes and hair spray can diminish a diamond's sparkle. To clean your jewelry at home, be careful not to use abrasives (including toothpaste!) that can dull the setting.
For at-home cleaning, we recommend:
• mix one part ammonia (or Mr. Clean) with four parts warm water
• add a small amount of mild dishwashing liquid
• soak for approximately 10 minutes
• scrub gently with a new soft toothbrush (used for jewelry cleaning only)
• dip the jewelry repeatedly in the solution
• rinse with warm to hot tap water
• pat dry with a lint-free cloth
We suggest having your diamond jewelry professionally cleaned at least once a year.
Jewelry extended care
To avoid chipping or breakage, avoid wearing jewelry while taking part in sports or during strenuous activities. Remove jewelry before going into a swimming pool or hot tub.
The cumulative effect of repeated exposure to even small amounts of harsh chemicals such as chlorine and bleach could cause gold to become brittle, causing breaks and loosening of prongs.
Jewelry inspections
We recommend having your jeweler check the setting for loose stones, bent prongs or signs of wear. This can be done at the same time as the professional cleaning.
Jewelry storage
Diamond jewelry is best stored separately to avoid becoming scratched or damaged. Store your diamonds in individual jewelry cases, cloth pouches or in a fabric-lined jewelry box with separate dividers and compartments.
Cultured pearls care
Cultured pearls are not the most durable of gems, but if they're properly cared for, they can retain their original beauty for many generations. They won't shatter easily, but at the same time, you can't treat them carelessly and expect them to remain undamaged.
Your cultured pearls should be protected from contact with metal or harder gems, and stored in a cloth pouch or wrapped in a soft cloth.
Since cultured pearls are organic gems, they are part water. Keep them away from excessive heat or intense lighting as this can dry them out and lead to discoloration and cracking. Occasionally cleaning with a dampened clean cloth helps them retain their moisture.
Put on your cultured pearls after using hairspray, cosmetics, and even perfume. Excessive exposure to such chemicals can cause damage to them.
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, steamer, or ammonia to clean your cultured pearls. Use warm, mild soapy water. Rinse and lay your cultured pearls flat on a towel to dry.
If you were your cultured pearls on a regular basis, it's a good idea to restring them about once a year.
Gem Care and Handling
Although gemstones are among the most durable of substances, they do need some care. Following a few general rules will make sure that they last for generations still looking like the day you bought them.
First of all: keep them clean! Rings in particular tend to collect dust and soap behind the stone, particularly if you wear them all the time. To clean transparent crystalline gemstones, simply soak them in water with a touch of gentle soap. If necessary, use a soft toothbrush to scrub behind the stone.
Even the hardest gemstone variety can be vulnerable to breakage if it has inclusions that weaken the crystal structure. Exercise common sense: if you have a ring set with a softer gem variety or an included stone, take it off before strenous exercise.
Diamonds are very hard but can shatter in two with a single well-placed blow. Rubies and sapphires are the toughest gems but even they can chip if hit sharply.
Think twice before putting gems in an ultrasonic cleaner. Diamonds and rubies and sapphires will be fine but many other gems may not be: when in doubt, leave it out. Diamonds, rubies and sapphires, and other single-crystal gems can be cleaned with a touch of ammonia in water to remove all films and add extra sparkle.
Opaque gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, require special care. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner and never use ammonia or any chemical solution. These gem materials should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside the stone and discolor it.
The reason why these materials need more care than transparent gemstones is that these materials are essentially rocks, not crystals of a single mineral. Think about it: when you put a rock in water, it absorbs the water and is moist all the way through. A single crystal gem like sapphire will not absorb water: all the molecules are lined up so tightly in the crystal that there is no room for water to enter.
Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic, never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light which can dry out the water in opals.
Organic gems like pearls, coral, and amber should only be wiped clean with a moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous. Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, damage pearls in particular.
Store each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don't scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is set in. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.
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