CARING FOR YOUR JEWELLERY

We believe that jewelry – from the most precious to the most casual – is meant to be worn every day – not locked in a safe. Some scratches and dings can happen, perhaps even some tarnishing – and that’s okay! It’s a sign of your beautiful jewels being a part of your beautiful life. There are also ways to keep your jewelry as pristine as the day it was made. To achieve that we’d recommend taking off your jewelry when swimming in any body of water, when gardening, doing contact sports, serious kitchen work and moving heavy objects. BUT this is not always necessary. It depends a lot on your lifestyle, your aesthetic preferences, how often you lose things :). (Taking jewelry off regularly seems to be the biggest culprit in loss!)

18k GOLD (WITH OR WITHOUT DIAMONDS, SAPPHIRES or RUBIES)Mix a small amount of mild dish detergent with warm water in a bowl. Put the jewelry into the bowl and let sit for a few minutes. Use a soft toothbrush (like a baby tooth brush) to gently scrub the jewelry. Remove item from soapy water, rinse it and dry thoroughly with a soft polishing cloth. 

You can also use a polishing cloth for extra shine and to remove any tarnish. (Sometimes 18k gold can tarnish a bit – particularly on earrings and the inside of rings – depending on your skin chemistry, but it is a very easy fix.)

You can also bring your diamond rings to a reputable jeweler and ask if they can put your piece in their ultrasonic cleanser.

SILVER
Silver tarnishes quite quickly when it comes into contact with oxygen or sulfur. Happily, the best measure to prevent this is wearing your silver jewelry often. The oils in your skin help prevent tarnish. (This varies depending on your own body chemistry.)

When storing your silver jewelry, use an airtight plastic bag (like a Ziploc) and if you can, put in a piece of chalk or a silica gel (the little packets in new shoes) – these will help prevent tarnish while you are not wearing your silver.

If your silver is tarnished the best way to clean it is with a jewelry polishing cloth. (Here is an example, but they are widely available!)

There are also many viable home remedies for cleaning silver online. Just remember that silver is very soft so use something like a very soft baby toothbrush to avoid scratching.

OPALS
Opals are relatively delicate stones, which require some special care to keep them happy. Opals are fairly soft (they are a 5.5 – 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, while diamonds are a 10). They are also high in water content and porous, which causes them to be very sensitive to changes in climate, temperature, and humidity. 

The best way to care for your opals is with some mindful preventative measures. Don’t wear your opal jewelry in extreme temperatures (like, really extreme), during physical activities, and also, avoid contact with soap, water, and household cleaners. Set your opals down gently when you remove them. 

PEARLS
Despite being rather sensitive beauties, pearls love being worn!! They don’t like being stored away and their intrinsic luster and glow will only improve when worn regularly.

However, they do need proper care to last many lifetimes. Pearl experts say: put them on last and take them off first. Pearls are more vulnerable to the chemicals found in cosmetics, hair spray, and perfume. Do all your primping before you put your pearls on. 

Pearls should ONLY be cleaned with a soft cloth moistened with water.