Jewellery Care: How and Why to Care for Your Jewellery

Why is Jewellery Care Important?

Ask anyone about their most prized possessions and the chances are their jewellery will come high up on the list. Jewellery is an investment. However, it is often of great sentimental value, marking moments in time and milestone events.

With the right level of care, jewellery can last many years and can even become an heirloom to pass down to future generations.

At James Porter & Son, we have been caring for our client’s jewellery for over 160 years. Here we share our top tips for caring for your jewellery to keep it looking its best.

 

 

Jewellery Storage

It may sound obvious, but a fabric-lined jewellery box is a great investment. With different compartments and sections, jewellery items can be individually stored so they don’t rub against one another and scratch.

If you don’t have a jewellery box, find another suitably sized box. Acid-free tissue paper is useful for wrapping individual items. Also, you can utilise fabric pouches.

Silver jewellery should be stored in airtight bags to prevent exposure to oxygen and sulphur in the air which leads to tarnishing. However, organic jewellery such as pearls, opals and turquoise should never be stored in airtight conditions. This is because they can dry out which could lead to cracking. Instead, a silk pouch allows air to circulate whilst keeping them dark and protected from scratching.

Ensure you keep the box away from direct sunlight and radiators so that it doesn’t become too hot. Also, avoid anywhere humid like the bathroom. Room temperature is ideal and preferably somewhere dark.

 

General Jewellery Care Tips: Do’s and Don'ts

DO

- Take jewellery off for any physical activity such as gardening, cooking of cleaning where the metals and gemstones may be exposed to chemicals or harsh conditions.

- Fasten chains when you take them off to help prevent tangling.

- Store snake chains flat to prevent kinks.

- Store jewellery away from damp conditions, direct sunlight or excessive heat.

- Apply lotions, perfumes, fake tan or body spray before putting on your jewellery to avoid any damage which can be caused by acids.

- Wipe pearls with a soft cloth after wear. This helps remove any body oils or perfumes which could lead to yellowing.

 

DON’T

- Sleep in your jewellery.

- Wear jewellery whist swimming.

- Allow your jewellery to come into contact with chemicals such as ammonia or chlorine. This can damage even precious materials.

- Submerge pearls or other organic gemstones like opals in water, use steam or ultrasonic tools to clean them.

 

Give Your Jewellery an Annual Visual Check

Go through your jewellery box at least once a year and look carefully at each piece of jewellery. Pick out any items that you think may need professional care. If in any doubt, bring your jewellery along to us for a check over. We will carefully examine each item and make recommendations if any work is needed.

Gemstone Rings

Pay particular attention to gemstone rings. Can you see any claws that look worn or feel sharp? This is a sign that the claws may need re-tipping or replacing. This is important to prevent gemstones coming loose and ultimately getting lost. Claw work is a lot less expensive than having to replace your diamonds or gemstones.

White Gold

Do any white gold items look dull or is yellow gold showing through? This is a sign that the protective rhodium plating has worn off and the item needs to be re-plated. White gold does not occur naturally so yellow gold is mixed with white alloys and then coated in rhodium to give it a bright finish. Although rhodium is hard wearing, it does wear off over time revealing the yellow gold beneath. Having white gold rings rhodium-plated regularly restores the original reflective finish. Look at our before and after pictures here.

Yellow Gold

If yellow gold items are looking scratched and dull, a professional clean and polish will make a world of difference. We generally use an ultrasonic tank which uses ultrasound waves to remove dirt, oil, and tarnish. High-frequency pressure waves create bubbles which cling to particles and agitate the liquid in the tank. This produces high forces which remove unwanted substrates from the jewellery. The ultrasonic cleaner is perfect for reaching the parts of gold jewellery that are hard to reach manually. Yellow gold is not plated, so what you see is the natural colour, which can be gently polished to restore it to its wonderful shine.

Pearls

If you own strings of pearls, semi-precious beads or precious gemstones, ensure there is no stretching or frayed thread. We offer a full restringing service and can advise you on the most suitable method for your jewellery pieces.

Other checks

Finally, check the catches and clasps on your necklaces. If bolt rings or trigger clasps aren’t closing correctly, it’s wise to have them replaced. Additionally, check jewellery with jointed hinges such as bangles. If there’s too much movement in the hinge, it could need attention.

 

Examples of why jewellery care is important 

We raided our jewellery boxes to provide some before and after photos so we could emphasise why caring for your jewellery is important. Below is a mixed selection of jewellery which we cleaned in store, because who doesn't love a good before and after...

Left - The gemstone pendant was worn daily so the build up of oils and dirt accumulates over time. A quick session in he ultrasonic machine has it as good as new.

Centre - An example of a white gold ring before and after being re-plated at the workshop.

Right - A yellow gold wedding ring after a light polish to remove the dirt and scratches picked up through daily wear and tear.

 

Left - Platinum wedding ring before and after polishing to remove the scratches accumulated daily and restoring its shine.

Centre - A diamond engagement ring worn daily can also collect dirt on the diamond. this can easily be removed in the ultrasonic machine to restore its wonderful sparkle.

Right - A silver pendant stored in conditions where it is exposed to the air and so has oxidized and turned slightly black. Using a cloth and some silver cleaning solution has it looking brand new again.

 

Lifetime Clean and Check

At James Porter & Son, we offer a free clean and check service as standard on all jewellery purchased from us for the lifetime of the item.

This free service is not offered by many jewellers and over the lifetime of important pieces such as engagement rings, represents a great saving.

If you own jewellery purchased from us, do bring it in for us to check and clean!

 

Caring for your Jewellery at Home

Day to day, there are lots of things you can do at home to keep your jewellery looking clean, bright, and shiny.

Silver

Most silver tarnishes over time. Tarnishing occurs when the metals in the silver alloy react and oxidise when exposed to the air. The easiest way to remove tarnish is with a silver cloth. This is a cloth impregnated with an anti-tarnish solution. Just a few light rubs are usually all that is needed to remove tarnish. However, for more intricate jewellery, a specialist silver dip solution sometimes works better. Simply dip the jewellery into the solution, rinse in warm water and leave to air dry.

Gold Jewellery

You could purchase a specialist gold jewellery cleaning solution. However, a bowl of warm water with a couple of drops of washing up liquid also works very well. Simply leave to soak for ten minutes. Then use a soft bristled brush to gently remove any ingrained dirt or grime. Rinse in cool water and then leave to air dry.

Pearls

Pearls are porous and therefore hold on to dust and dirt easily. This causes them to lose their lustre. To clean them, wet a soft cloth and gently rub each pearl individually. Don’t pull the string through the cloth as this weakens and stretches the string. For stubborn dirt, use a soft brush. Remove excess moisture with a lint-free cloth taking care to dry the area near the drill holes to avoid discolouration. Finally, lay the pearls flat to avoid stretching and allow to air dry.

You can find further information in our Jewellery Care Guide.

 

Getting a Valuation

It’s a great idea to have your jewellery professionally valued every few years. Having a detailed schedule of all your jewellery gives peace of mind in case you ever need to replace anything. Also, taking photos as a visual record really helps too.

 

Enjoy Your Jewellery!

Jewellery is to be worn and enjoyed. With a bit of care and attention, your jewellery collection will always be ready to wear at its sparkling best.

Please contact us if we can help with any aspect of jewellery care, repair, or restoration.