AFTERCARE
How to care for your Jewellery
Made with love and attention, the same meticulous selection process we follow for selecting diamonds and crafting perfect settings goes into all our jewellery. From necklaces and bracelets to earrings and cufflinks, each of our pieces is designed to stand the test of time, and provide lasting memories for years to come.
General Tips
To keep your beautiful jewellery looking its best, we recommend that you always put your jewellery on after applying make-up, perfume and hair products, and that you remove your jewellery before showering or swimming as soap can leave a film on the surface and chlorine can permanently damage or discolour your gold jewellery.
You should remove your jewellery before doing any housework or manual labour, and gems and pearls should be handled as little as possible to prevent the natural oils in your skin making them dull.
Individual pieces of jewellery should be wrapped in tissue or cloth, or placed in separate compartments in a jewellery box to prevent them becoming scratched or tangled, and special care should be taken with pearls as they are very soft and delicate and can be scratched very easily.
Caring For Your Jewellery
Whether you’re caring for an expensive item, a special gift with sentimental value, or just your favourite piece, we all want to keep our jewellery looking as polished as the day it was purchased. Caring for your jewellery is important.
Regular polishing of all gold, silver, platinum, palladium and other jewellery with a specialist spray and a soft cloth, will keep it looking shiny and pristine.
If your jewellery needs repairing, re-plating or polishing, you can send it to us at British Jewellery Workshops store and ask for our repair service.
Rule of Thumb in Caring for ALL Jewellery
To prevent your metals, gemstones and pearls from scratching and tarnishing, keep your jewellery in individual boxes or soft pouches and store these in a cool, dry place.
As most metals will see surface damage when in contact with chlorinated water – it’s best to remove all jewellery when in the swimming pool. Titanium is the exception to this rule as it’s resistant to chlorine.
Keep all of your metal and gemstones well away from domestic cleaning products and avoid contact with things like perfume and hairspray.
Some extra tips …
Keep your Silver Sparkling
The best way to keep your silver jewellery looking great is to wear it, as this stops it oxidising with the air and tarnishing. If it comes into contact with water, dry quickly to avoid stains.
Yellow & Rose Gold Care
Yellow and rose gold should be kept in separate boxes or soft pouches to keep it from scratching. Avoid contact with soap, as it can give gold jewellery a dull appearance. This can be easily rectified by polishing with a specialist jewellery spray and a soft cloth.
White Gold Care
Most white gold items are enhanced with rhodium plating, giving a highly reflective white surface. Over time, this surface may lose some brightness; this happens less frequently on items such as earrings and pendants that don’t come into contact with other hard objects when worn.
If you send your white gold jewellery to us at British Jewellery Workshops, we can arrange for it to be re-plated for you at a minimal cost.
Platinum Protection
Although platinum is durable, whilst wearing your platinum jewellery, it’s best to avoid carrying out heavy chores, sports and other activities where it may come into contact with hard surfaces.
Even though daily wear may leave an impression on the surface, over a period of time it creates a natural, desirable patina over the outer surface that doesn’t impair the quality of your jewellery. In more severe instances where the jewellery is accidentally knocked, heavy marks can be removed by polishing.
Polished Palladium
Caring for palladium is similar to platinum; palladium also develops a natural and desired patina over time. A simple re-polish by a professional jeweller will have your palladium looking as good as new. It’s best to keep palladium jewellery safe at home, when carrying out manual work or handling heavy machinery.
Stainless Steel
Keep stainless steel separately from other jewellery as its hardness can cause damage to other precious metals. Despite its strength, stainless steel is not indestructible so avoid wearing it for manual work or sports. To maintain its wonderful shine, it can be polished with a soft cloth and mild detergent or toothpaste can be used for stubborn dirt. Avoid contact with water and when polishing, clean along the grain of the metal.
Maintain the Glamour of Gemstones
Ruby, sapphire, topaz or amethyst – all gemstones are precious. The rule of thumb in caring for gemstones applies to all – for a quick clean, wipe the stones with a soft cloth. However, some gemstones need to avoid contact with soap, water and liquid cleaners as they can dull the radiant colour of gems and cause erosion – if you are unsure of what’s best for your jewellery, ask a member of staff in store or read our gemstones guide.
Also avoid harsh chemicals including chlorine or detergents coming into contact with your jewellery, as they also may erode the stone and cause the colour to dull.
Precious Pearl Care
Pearls are delicate gems, organic and one of a kind. With a low resistance to heat, it’s best to avoid contact with any chemicals and cleaning sprays or products – simply clean with a dry or damp cloth.
Pay close attention to your delicate pearls – if you wear your pearls a lot they will need restringing every year or so, so keep an eye out for damage and bring them along to see us if they need any special attention.