How to Care For Your Jewellery

Jewellery is generally an investment and, for the majority, has a wonderful sentimental value for the items. Therefore, proper care should be taken for one's jewellery to ensure that they are kept in their finest condition in the long run.Whether you are trying to clean a diamond wedding band, a valuable pearl necklace or a gold wristband, read our guide and care for your jewellery with confidence.

General Care

Jewellery should be inspected periodically for damage or wear by a professional. If you're in any way unsure about your jewellery condition, see your local member of the NAJ. They will take enormous pride in being able to advise you on keeping yours looking as good as when it was originally purchased. Here are some pointers on some of the things that you can do to maintain it in wonderful condition:

Remove your jewellery if you're taking part in anything which might scratch, knock or damage it. If unsure, remove it and store it safely.

Remove it when you are going to bed.

Keep it away from chemicals, particularly chlorine. If it does get exposed to chemicals, wash it in water straight away.

Bathe and condition with any perfume or lotions before wearing your jewelry. Natural gemstones like pearls and opals are particularly prone to acids, even body sweat.

Keep it apart, ideally in a lined box or case, so your valuable items don't tangle, rub or scratch one another.

When storing jewellery, avoid sunlight, excessive heat or damp. Pearls specifically need to be kept separate because they are easily scratched by hard gemstones.

Ensure chains and necklaces are secured when in storage to prevent tangling.

Remove jewellery while cooking, cleaning, and washing up.

Avoid light, extreme heat or dampness when storing jewelry.

Jewellery MOT

Ensure that you have a comprehensive insurance valuation for your jewellery. As a rough estimate, the description in a professional jewellery valuation will be so detailed that a jeweller would be able to use it to make a fairly accurate drawing of the piece. The Aruhi Jewels has registered valuers based in the India.

If in doubt about the care, repair or valuation of your jewellery, then see an Arohi Jewels member. For the hallmark of a professional jeweller, look for the National Association of Jewellers' Grant-of-Arms, which certifies retail jewellery shops across the India that have been vetted by the Arohi Jewels.

The plus side is that your jewelry will seldom be so far gone to be repaired or restored. If you're unsure or need assistance, visit Aruhi Jewels for a speedy check-up.

Here's a speedy checklist of some of the things to watch out for:

Worn, broken or lost claws on settings can lose stones

Loose stones in setting

Loose catches and clasps or scratchy links on chains or bracelets

Any metal fractures

Loose pearls on their string or where the string is frayed

Excessive movement in hinged joints

The plating is wearing off from white gold

A dive watch must be pressure tested every year

Lastly, if a ring is too loose or too tight, it can usually be re-sized to fit.

Gemstone Cleaning

Gemstones are purchased for their colour and sparkle, and therefore it is necessary to have them look their absolute best. But it is wise to be aware of what kind of gem you are cleaning and how to restore it to its new appearance.

Most coloured gemstones have been treated to improve their appearance. Such treatments can adversely react with some cleaning agents and harm the jewellery. If unsure, have your jewellery checked by a jeweller for guidance.

Even if a gemstone looks hard, most are prone to heat. When you clean, use warm water and avoid using hot or boiling water. Inclusions within gemstones may weaken the framework of the gemstone if it is cleaned with vigor.

For almost all colour gemstones cleaning with warm water, a few drops of washing-up liquid and a soft-brush will be more than sufficient. Make sure not to use hard and stiff brushes. A toothbrush is typically an excellent tool due to head size and flexibility. If a toothbrush is being used, precautions must be taken to buy one that is stamped with a soft or extra-soft brush.

Malachite is to be washed using cold water since it is very sensitive to heat and hot water may damage the gemstone.

Diamond Cleaning

Although they are the hardest naturally occurring material on the planet, diamonds do need attention and care. They are hard, but they can fracture and get scratched by other diamonds because of their directional hardness. Finger oils from fingers and overall dust and dirt can easily cling to the surface of a diamond and influence a diamond's brilliance.

Treat the diamond gently and keep it from other jewellery so that they will not scratch each other, including other diamond jewellery. It will minimize damage, wear and accumulation of dirt if the diamond is stored in separate small plastic bags or a cloth-lined pouch.

Clean the diamond regularly. Soak in warm water with a degreasing solution (a couple of drops of washing-up liquid). Brush gently with a soft, clean toothbrush and dry on a lint-free cloth. Take special care with the stone's setting as this could be delicate. Avoid using bleaches or other hard abrasives. This can easily damage the precious metal in which the diamond is mounted.

Cleaning Organic Gems

Organic gems such as pearls and opal have varying chemical compositions compared to mineral gemstones such as sapphires and diamonds. Due to this, they also need other ways of care.Most organic gems are much softer than mineral gemstones and liable to be scratched and damaged if not cared for correctly. Due to their chemical makeup, they are vulnerable to acids and many chemicals found in cleaning products. This brief guide should help you avoid damaging your peals, opals and amber jewellery.

How to clean pearl, coral and amber jewellery:

Do not submerge the gemstones in water. Instead, wet a soft cloth with warm water and gently rub each stone individually. Avoid pulling the stones through the cloth as this is liable to stretch or damage the string. If stubborn dirt remains on some of the gemstones, then a soft brush should help remove the grime. Be careful and go gently.

Dry the gemstones with a lint-free cloth. Excess moisture can build up in the drill holes and next to the knots causing discolouration. A hard blow with the breath or daubing with the cloth should remove this. Do not use a hairdryer to remove moisture, as the heat will damage the stones.

Never clean with steam, boiling or ultrasonic tools as these will irreversibly damage the gems.

Cleaning Gold

It doesn't take long before gold jewellery loses its sparkle. Fingerprints and a daily dirt build-up can soon dull even the best gold. Fortunately, we have some advice that will enable you to get it shining again.

If the gold jewelry contains gemstones or pearls, be very gentle when you clean the item. Have a look at the remainder of the guide to see the best ways to clean the individual gems so that you do not damage the jewelry.

A jewellery-specific cleaning solution is a safe choice, but be certain any cleaner is meant for the proper precious metal or stone. If uncertain, it's safest to rely on the use of the following:

Add a couple of drops of washing-up liquid (or other gentle degreasing agent) to a bowl of lukewarm water. Drastic changes in temperature could harm the jewellery, so use not hot nor icy water.

Soak the jewellery for ten minutes to loosen any build-up of dirt.

Gently clean with a soft-bristled brush such as an unused toothbrush.

Make sure to clean the whole piece of jewellery and get into hard to reach places while being extra careful when cleaning fragile parts of the jewellery (for example, at a stone's setting).

Rinse thoroughly in clean water to remove soap residue and any other remnants of dirt.

Dry carefully with a lint-free cloth or put on a cloth to dry naturally.

Gold is a very soft metal and is prone to scratching. Remember this fact during the cleaning and drying process and be as gentle as possible.

Cleaning Silver

Silver tarnishes with age, producing dull or even black jewellery. Tarnishing is when silver comes into contact with oxygen and sulphur in the air. It is inevitable, but, fortunately, it does not harm the metal and can be easily removed by cleaning.

How to prevent tarnishing:

Just wearing your silver jewelry will decelerate the tarnishing process. Taking care about the way you wear and store the silver will help decrease the tarnishing speed as well.

Take off silver bands and bracelets when washing hands.

Remove silver rings and bracelets when washing your hands. Residue from soap and hand gels can result in a dull surface.

Keep silver jewellery in separate airtight bags.

Avoid humid environments.

But when the metal starts to appear dull or even begins to darken, it is time to dig out the cleaners to make the jewellery sparkle again.

How to clean silver:

The simplest way to clean silver is to buy a specialist cleaning solution or cloth. There are numerous examples on the market. Just make sure that they have been specifically designed for cleaning silver. Silver cleaning cloths should be soft and infused with anti-tarnishing agents.

If you don't have specialist cleaners at home, then do not fear as there are household options to get your silver shining. A bowl of lukewarm water and a few drops of washing-up liquid will help remove tarnishing.

If you do not have specialist cleaners handy at home, then do not worry as there are alternatives around the house to make your silver sparkle. Lukewarm water and a little washing-up liquid in a bowl will wash off the tarnishing.

Soak the silver jewellery in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of washing-up liquid for ten minutes.

Gently brush the silver with a clean, soft brush.

Wash in warm, clean water.

Let to air dry.

For more severe tarnishing, you may employ a white vinegar and water mixture.

Take equal quantities of white vinegar and water in a bowl.

Soak a fresh toothbrush in the solution and brush over the infected spots of silver very gently.

Rise and leave to air dry.

Looking after your watch

Your watch is a very intricate piece of engineering and works non-stop day after day. You would not expect your car to do this without a service so follow the instructions on servicing. As a guide a service every three or four years should help it last for decades.

Take a quick look at your watch on a regular basis, ensuring the strap or bracelet is tightly held onto the case. If your watch is mechanical, wind it in a clockwise motion.Often it is recommended that you do this about the same time each day. Remove the watch from your wrist when winding so as not to place undue pressure on the winder. Water resistance is often misunderstood, for example, a watch saying 30 metres on the dial sounds like it is perfectly safe to swim in. The 30 metres is actually a static pressure that the watch can take. Did you know that just jumping into a pool can exceed this pressure therefore possibly letting water into the watch?

If you really have to know the time when you are in the pool, it is recommended that you have a watch with a 100-metre water resistance or greater. Even then don't wear it in the bath or while taking a shower.