CARE INSTRUCTION
Gems and precious metals are gifts of nature, which need special care. Even though a gem may be millions of years old, once mined and worn, it is exposed to conditions and chemicals that can damage it. The harder the gem, the less vulnerable it is to potential damage. A diamond, for example, is the hardest gem known to man, and that's one reason why it is "forever."
Hardness is based on a gem-trade standard called the Mohs Scale, developed in the early 19th century. The scale is structured so that material rated at each higher number can scratch substances with lower numbers. Diamonds are rated the highest, at 10; rubies and sapphires are Mohs 9; emeralds and topaz, 8; and garnets, tourmalines and quartz, 7. Anything softer than a 7 can be scratched with less difficulty, including opal, turquoise, lapis lazuli, coral and pearl. Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2-1/2 to 4, which means that they require special care when wearing, storing, or cleaning.
If you feel your jewellery requires a specialist clean. We recommend you return to us for cleaning for a small fee.
Platinum / Gold jewellery with diamond
- Use a soft brush, soap and water. If you do not possess a special brush for cleaning jewelry you can use an eyebrow brush, soft toothbrush or even a lipstick brush - these are soft, small and acceptable.
- Before you start cleaning, make a mix of warm soapy water. Then place in the bowl, where you made the mixture, your diamond jewelry. The heat in the water will loosen up any oils on the stone.
- Soak it for a few minutes and then scrub with a brush. An old soft toothbrush works best. Make sure to get under the stone as this is where the dirt and oils will gather.
- Rinse with water.
- After the cleaning use a clean soft cloth to dry the jewellery
- Store safely into the jewellery box and separate from other items which may knock or scratch it when you are not wearing (Diamonds are hard enough to scratch
Platinum / Gold jewellery with diamond
Chains can be occasionally cleaned with a jewellery dip for gold, platinum or silver. If you feel your jewellery requires a specialist clean. We recommend you return to us for cleaning.
Opal
Semi precious stones can be lightly cleaned with a soft dry cloth. When wearing these items avoid chemicals such as deodorants, hairsprays and perfumes.
If an opal loses moisture, it can lead to a fine network of cracks. The moisture loss can be caused by heat or excessive dryness, or by exposure to bright light or direct sunlight. It can be prevented by never displaying opals in places where they’re exposed to these conditions for long time.
Do's and Don'ts:
DON'T wear fine jewelry when doing housework or gardening.
DON'T heap your jewelry into one drawer. Remember a diamond ring can scratch that pearl necklace. Keep them separate and, ideally, wrapped in velvet, paper, silk or plastic zip-lock bag.
DO let your jeweler check for loose stones frequently.
DO get pearls restrung when the cord begins to fray.
DO clean fine jewelry often to maintain its sparkle and beauty.
DON'T use toothpaste as its abrasives can damage softer gems and metals. Most fine jewelry can be safely cleaned by soaking for 10 minutes in warm soapy water (using a mild detergent soap). Use a soft brush on harder gems to loosen any dirt around the prongs. To reduce greasy build-up on diamond jewelry, dip it in plain alcohol before soaking.
DO store fine jewelry carefully, observing the following guidelines:
DO Store jewelry in a dry place and avoid extremes of temperature and humidity.
DO Keep gemstone-studded jewelry, pearls, and gold and silver pieces separated from each other to prevent scratching. Store fine jewelry pieces in soft pouches, soft cloth wraps or plastic "zip-lock" bags to help protect them.
DON'T overcrowd your jewelry box. Crowding can result in misplaced or lost jewelry if a small piece falls unnoticed from the case. Occasionally, forcing too much jewelry into the box may even bend a fragile piece or chip a delicate stone.
