jewellery is a considerable financial and emotional investment and hence requires a certain amount of care in order to keep looking its best. Here's a quick checklist of Do's and Don'ts that will help you retain all your jewellery as good as new.
Do:
- Clean your jewellery on a regular basis. Some warm water, mild soap water and soft cloth or brush is all that is required. For tougher stains, soak it in water for 3-4 minutes before washing it under running water
- Store your jewellery well as this is key is maintaining its beauty. Diamonds and Gemstones should be stored separately and always use individual boxes for sets, preferably the ones you bought them in. Since Diamonds and Rubies are harder stones, the chances of them scratching other metals if stored together are high. Make sure you separate the stones from the metals in order to retain the original condition of your jewellery.
Don't:
- Avoid wearing jewellery while doing any heavy work, gardening, household cleaning or exercise since the sweat and grime can leave a residue on it. There are also cleaning agents which contain chemicals that can mix with your gemstones and discolour it. Abrasive work could scratch your jewellery and sometimes jewellery can just get in the way when you're cleaning, so it's best to keep it locked up and safe.
- Avoid wearing jewellery in extreme temperatures since outside temperatures can affect the shine and luster of your jewellery. The sun has a similar effect on jewellery as it does on our skins so make sure you try and avoid wearing jewellery during extreme weather changes.
Gemstones
- All gemstone jewellery should be stored separately since they have the potential to scratch softer stone and metals
- Make sure you clean your gemstones in warm water and mild soap and get them examined periodically for an loose settings
Diamonds
- Diamonds are delicate so avoid wearing them when doing intensive work since a hard blow to them could chip or break them
- Regular cleaning of Diamonds and examining them for loose settings will help you avoid losing your precious investment and both can be done by any Diamond jewellery expert.
- Try to avoid wearing diamonds if you're an active swimmer since chlorine reacts with the gem and can cause them to fall off
Pearls
- Pearls are soft and can be easily scratched, make sure you store them separately from your other jewellery
- A fresh makeup brush and some warm water help clean your pearls and keep them looking new
- Avoid perfumes when wearing pearls and never use hard cleaners to clean them
- Make sure you check your pearl jewellery regularly to get them restrung if required
