Here are some helpful tips and guidelines to keep all your fine jewelry sparkling.
Avoid wearing jewelry while in contact with household chemicals. Some cleaning products can discolor or damage your jewelry mountings. Many of these cleaners contain ammonia, which can be too harsh for delicate gems or vintage jewelry. Chlorine bleach, another common household solvent, can pit or damage gold alloys.
Remove your jewelry before performing rough manual work or playing sports. Gemstones could be jarred loose or chipped by a hard blow.
Remove all jewelry before bathing. Soap can cause a film that makes your jewelry appear dull and cloudy.
Put jewelry on after applying cosmetics, hairspray, perfumes, and lotion that may contain chemicals that can damage jewelry.
When you’re not wearing your jewelry, store items in a fabric-jewelry box with compartments and dividers or separate each piece in its own soft cloth pouch. Be careful that pieces do not tumble against each other to avoid scratching or dulling.
Don’t wear your jewelry in swimming pools and spas. Chlorinated water can react with certain metals causing color changes and possibly structural damage.
Silver jewelry often tarnishes when it is not worn. To maintain the luster of your jewelry, place silver anti-tarnish strips with the jewelry to absorb the oxidants that discolor and tarnish the metal or store in an anti-tarnish bag or cloth.
Avoid cleaning jewelry that is damaged, since additional handling may worsen the problem.
Light and heat can affect a colored gemstone’s durability and color. Over time, and in excess, they can also fade or damage some gemstones, such as amethyst, kunzite, topaz and shell cameos. Delicate materials, such as pearls or ivory, will bleach under extreme exposure to light. Other gems, especially amber, can darken over time when exposed to too much light.
A pearl’s surface is soft and can easily be scratched. To store pearls wrap them in tissue or keep in a chamois bag. Pearls should be strung with a knot between each pearl to prevent wear from friction and for loss prevention if the string should break.
Pearls and opals draw moisture from the air, if you storing your opal or pearl jewelry in an extremely dry area, such as a safe deposit box, it can sometimes do more harm than good.
Every six months, have a jeweler professionally clean and inspect your fine jewelry. When you purchase jewelry at Jonathan K & Co. Fine Jewelry, we offer free cleaning service complimentary to our clients and at this time will inspect your jewelry for any wear or stress points that can turn into a potential problem.
Take regular inventory of your jewelry collection in case of loss or theft. Store your appraisal documentation in a separate location from your jewelry in the event of a burglary that it is not taken too.
When traveling it is best to use a travel case to protect your valuables when you are away from home.
