General advice
Remove your jewellery before any activity or sport which could knock or damage the piece, and also remove when you go to bed.
Keep your jewellery away from harsh chemicals such as chlorine (e.g. swimming pools) and domestic cleaning products. If the jewellery comes into contact with chemicals, rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth.
Harsh chemicals are also present in beauty products such as perfumes and hairspray, which can damage delicate stones like pearls and opals. As such, it is best to apply beauty products before putting on your jewellery.
Store your jewellery separately from other pieces, in its original box, so that it doesn’t get scratched.
Depending on how often you wear your jewellery, check it every 6 – 12 months for wear and tear, such as loose gemstones and wear to claws and gold (e.g. bails on pendants, clasps and the bottom of ring shanks). If your jewellery needs repair, please get in touch.
Cleaning
Gemstones should be cleaned according to the type of gemstone, as some are treated with oil (e.g. emeralds), or prone to scratching if soft. Please ask if in doubt. Porous and organic gemstones such as corals, pearls, turquoise, lapis and opals are very delicate and should only be wiped gently with a damp cloth (without chemicals) and immediately dried. Never submerge these types of stones in water. Most other gemstones can be cleaned using warm water, a very mild detergent and a very soft brush, then dried with a cloth. After drying with a cloth, the gold can be polished as follows.
Gold can be cleaned as above, and then polished with a soft cloth or a specialist polishing cloth. A polishing cloth is embedded with chemicals which will polish out small scuffs and leave the gold looking shiny. Try not to rub gemstones with this cloth. The polishing cloth should turn black – this is not dirt from the jewellery, but rather chemicals reacting in the cloth. These cloths only need replacing when completely black. Note: soaps can dull gold, but the shine can be bought back by using a polishing cloth.