Jewellery care
Depending on the design of your jewellery, fine and delicately set rings will need lot more care than plain unset bands when you wear them. Over the years we have seen many repairs with rings bent out of shape, missing Diamonds or chipped stones.
Gold is a soft metal and to make your jewellery last follow few simple rules and you will enjoy your jewellery for many years to come.
Avoid wearing your rings
At gym
Lifting weights and other gym equipment can severely damage your band and setting, in some cases we have seen chipped Diamonds and gemstones, bands with impression of bars.
Heavy work or gardening
Depending on your ring design, some jewellery especially with fine settings can end up with bent claws, or the whole ring can be bent out of shape.
You can also damage your gemstones or Diamonds.
Harsh chemicals
Some chemicals especially chlorine can cause permanent damage to some gemstones, especially opal and pearls. Your gold can also suffer from discoloration, so protect your rings by using gloves or remove your rings.
Caring for your jewellery
Gemstone Jewellery Care
The hardness of each gemstone is measured by Mohs scale (0-10). It determines the characteristics, durability and care needed, when wearing these gems.
Most gemstones will scuff over time with everyday wear, especially if you wear them while doing heavy work, at gym or gardening (we strongly advise to remove them).
Cleaning most gemstones at home is safe, but always follow the instructions if you are using the sonic.
We recommend to use warm soapy water and very soft toothbrush.
Some gems like Tanzanite and Emeralds are sensitive to sudden changes of temperature, so if you are unsure of how to clean your gemstone jewellery, or not sure what type of gem is in your jewellery, get in touch with us so we can help you.
Household bleach can damage most gemstones, but also discolour your gold. Remove your jewellery before cleaning.
Store your jewellery in separate pouches or boxes to prevent them from scratching each other.
Diamond Jewellery Care
We encourage you to bring your Diamond jewels to us for a professional check and clean at least once per year. Daily wear, dust, hand creams and pollution all contribute to dull Diamonds and gems. Diamonds refract light and once the pavilion (underside) of the stone is dirty, they can lose their sparkle depending on the cut. Baguette cut Diamonds need the most frequent care due to their large flat surface areas.
Protect your jewellery from hard impact, as even Diamonds can chip if hit with enough force or at the wrong angle. If you have an accidental bump, check your setting for any sharp claws or chipped stones.
If possible, bring your piece for a professional check as damaged and worn out settings can make your Diamonds unsecured.
Store your Diamond jewels in separate cloth pouches or lined jewellery boxes to prevent them from scratching each other.
Opal Jewellery Care
Australia produces over 95% of the world’s opal supply. Opals are fragile gems and can break on impact. Their hardness is similar to glass, so extra care is necessary when wearing and cleaning them. We recommend removing your opal rings for any heavy work and gardening. Avoid contact with bleach, chemicals and do not use ultrasonic cleaners.
Solid opals are a natural opal cut into desired shape and can be cleaned with warm soapy water and extra soft toothbrush or cloth. Solid opals unlike doublets or triplets are fine in water, but some opal varieties can dry out and crack if they are exposed to very dry conditions or extreme change in temperature.
Doublets and triplets need little more care when cleaning and caring for them. Doublets and triplets are made from layers which are glued together. Doublets have thin slice of opal and black backing and triplets have an extra layer of glass or quartz on top.
Excessive exposure to heat and water can deteriorate the adhesive and damage your opal. When cleaning, avoid leaving you opal in water, use soapy warm water and soft toothbrush quickly without soaking and wipe dry with soft cloth.
Pearl Jewellery Care
Due to their organic nature, there are few rules you can follow to keep your pearls looking their best.
Avoid contact with chemicals and perfume.
After wearing your pearls, wipe them over with soft cloth and store them in a soft pouch to avoid scratching on other jewellery.
Never clean your pearls in ultrasonic cleaners.
To maintain their luster, you can clean your pearls with a damp soft cloth with a drop of olive oil. Restringing your pearls once per year may be necessary if you wear them often, otherwise once every three years is sufficient.
We offer restringing services and recommend having your pearls checked once per year if you wear them often.
Pearls in rings and earrings are glued on and it is recommended to have your ring checked regularly as the glue can break down over time and your pearl can become loose.
Sterling Silver Jewellery Care
Sterling silver will tarnish with time, depending on how often you wear it, acids in the skin and exposure to elements (like water and air). Chemicals (like perfume, cleaning products, swimming pool or ocean water) also contribute to tarnishing.
To reduce tarnishing, store your sterling silver in a jewellery box or soft pouch in a dry place and remove
your jewellery before working out and swimming.
We recommend professional cleaning by our staff once per year or as often as you feel necessary.
Other times you can use a soft jewellery cleaning cloth or Silver cleaning solution.
For professional jewellery clean and check
Get in touch with us or pop in and speak to our jewellers. We recommend having your jewellery serviced about once per year to 18 months. We check all stones to make sure they are tight in their settings, fine emery to remove scratches (deep scratches will not be removed unless you request it, as we do not to keep filing away your metal), ultra sonic and polish on polishing motor with a buff and pressure steam clean for that amazing sparkle. If your piece is white gold, we will rhodium plat it.