Cleaning
It is important to have your jewelry inspected and cleaned regularly by a jeweler you can trust. If you choose to clean your own jewelry, here are a few tips:
- Clean ear wires in rubbing alcohol.
- Only use a soft polishing cloth to clean your pearls and gemstone jewelry.
- Avoid wearing jewelry when spraying hair spray, perfume, and when coloring your hair.
- Purchase an appropriate cleaning solution to keep your pieces clean and untarnished.
- Grease can be easily removed from gold jewelry by dipping it in rubbing alcohol.
- Don’t rub precious metal with anything other than a fine piece of felt or polishing cloth to prevent scratching from fibers.
- Never use an ultrasonic cleaner on organic materials (amber, bone, coral, horn, ivory and pearls). This is also true for opals and turquoise.
- Pearls require special care. After each wearing, gently wipe them with a soft cloth to remove body oils and perfume.
Storage
- Remove rings before performing household chores, such as cleaning, gardening or working with hand tools
- Jewelry should be stored separately to avoid scratches and damage from other jewelry. It is best to store your jewelry in a jewelry box or in individual cases/pouches.
- Store necklaces, chains and bracelets flat to avoid kinks and knots.
- Always store bead jewelry and pearls flat and in a soft pouch. Avoid storing pearls in plastic bags, s the lack of moisture will cause the pearl to dry out and decay.
- Store jewelry away from sunlight as light and heat may have adverse effects on certain gemstones, causing them to fade or crack.
- Never throw your jewelry in your handbag or parcel.
- Never leave jewelry on the edge of a sink – they can very easily slip down the drain.
- Do not sleep in your jewelry.
- When traveling, give care to packing your jewelry items. Jewelry travel totes are recommended. Keep silver away from sulfurous materials to prevent tarnish. Store in an airtight zipper bag to prevent air from coming in contact with your silver.