Jewelry Cleaning 101

We put care into designing and creating your jewelry, and you put care into choosing the pieces that reflect your style and personality. Make sure you keep your fine jewelry as beautiful as you with some simple tips on how to care for it.

· Gently wipe off makeup and skin oils after each wear with a soft, 100% cotton cloth.

· Store jewelry separately in jeweler’s cloth or a soft bag so pieces don’t scratch each other.

· To remove fingerprints, light grease or dirt from sterling silver add a small amount of mild liquid soap to half a cup of warm water. Soak for 2-3 minutes, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and dry.

· To remove excess tarnish use a non-abrasive metal cleaner and polish with a 100% cotton cloth. Rinse thoroughly with clean water making sure to remove any cleanser from gemstones.

· Never use toothpaste to clean your jewelry. It can scuff certain stones and damage the polish on your metals.

· When using jeweler’s cloths, make sure they are fresh as the dirt on used ones can cause damage to your jewelry.

· Only use soft, 100% cotton as a polishing cloth because other fabrics often contain synthetics or wood fibers that can scratch your jewelry.

· Avoid chlorine and bleach when wearing jewelry as they can cause gold and other metal alloys to break down. Be sure to remove jewelry before dipping in a swimming pool or soaking in a Jacuzzi or hot tub as chlorine is often added to the water.

· Ultrasonic cleaners may damage gemstones, pearls, and other fine stones as well as loosen settings. Be sure to carefully follow instructions and warnings.

· Avoid turpentine, ammonia, acetone, denatured alcohol, and petroleum based products.

· Certain gems require special care such as opals, pearls, and soft stones like amber, lapis, malachite, and turquoise. Be sure to take extra care when storing them and wrap them in jeweler’s cloth.

· Perfumes and lotions can wear down and damage softer stones.

· Care for fashion jewelry is similar to that of fine jewelry. Please be advised that fashion and plated jewelry will naturally wear over time.