With proper care, you can guarantee your jewellery stays in tip top shape for future generations. The best step you can take in caring for fine jewellery is taking it off in any situation that may damage it.
Fine jewellery is vulnerable to damage if exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures, some chemicals, impact, or pressure. Precious metals are vulnerable to bending and scratching if squeezed between hard objects, caught on other metals or get in contact with sharp objects. Precious stones can be scratched, chipped, or made loose if banged on a hard surface. Chemicals, cosmetics, and sometimes even water / moisture can cause unseen damage to gems that isn’t immediately visible.
Some of the times when you should take your jewellery off include:
Any form of exercise at any intensity level. This means rock climbing, skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, kayaking, snowboarding, ice skating, mountain or road biking, pilates, contact sports, practicing yoga, etc.
Showering or bathing. Hot temperatures and knocking on metal fixtures are both risky.
Sleeping and anything else that can put pressure on jewellery for hours.
Applying any topicals like lotion, SPF, oils, makeup, hair products, and perfumes.
Cooking or baking. Hitting your jewellery against pots and pans is a recipe for disaster.
Washing the dishes, washing the car, or washing the dog, etc.
Cleaning, especially with harsh cleaning agents and chemicals.
Swimming, hot tubbing, steaming, or saunas.
Crafting of any type: painting, ceramics, gardening and other equally messy hobbies.
Certain 9-5’s. If you use your hands a lot for your work or are constantly washing your hands, it may be best to leave your jewellery at home. Examples include UPS delivery drivers, nurses, doctors, surgeons, chefs, etc.
The Beach. Cold water = shrinkage-induced roominess around your ring. The middle of the ocean is definitely not the place to lose your ring. You also risk sand scratching your metal and sunscreen clouding up your stones.
No Scuba diving. The temperature and pressure changes can cause the ring to slip off your finger and the temperature changes can damage softer stones.
High Elevation. High elevation levels cause our fingers to swell and with a certain degree of swelling, the risk of nerve damage exists. Better to take your ring off and slip it on the chain of a necklace you’re already wearing when you’re at high levels of elevation. Once you’re back to normal levels, pop your ring back on your finger.
How To Clean and Care
Typically, it is the gemstones that require very special care because there are a lot of different types of gems with different characteristics. Some gems should be handled with a lot of care whereas Diamonds, Sapphires and Rubies are amongst the hardest and therefore, less prone to accidental damage. I am not going to cover specifics of cleaning and caring for each gem here, because it would require going into a lot of details. I can only mention that Emeralds, Aquamarines, Opals, Pearls and some semi-precious gems are considered the most fragile. Important but often forgotten fact - rhodium-plated white gold also requires delicate handling in order not to remove the plating prematurely.
Most jewellery is best cleaned using a soft cloth or very soft toothbrush, anti-grease dish soap, and warm water. We do not recommend the use of harsh brushes, solvents, or any other abrasive cleaning methods. There are special solutions for cleaning different types of fine jewellery and gems which can make cleaning jewellery so much easier and safer (i.e. Hagerty Jewel Clean which you can find on Amazon or sold by other retailers). After cleaning, dry your jewellery with a 100% cotton towel, and use a polish cloth on the stones and metals to give your jewellery some extra shine. Remember not to use a polishing cloth on matte jewellery, as it will ruin the finish.
Ultrasonic cleaning should be left to the professionals, since not all fine jewellery can be exposed to it. Ultrasonic cleaning can damage certain gems and loosen jewellery prongs (putting you at risk of losing a stone) if not used appropriately.
Special Care Notes
Opal Jewellery. Opals are very soft and fragile stones, and therefore, we highly recommend that you take extra care with all your Opal jewellery. Keep in mind that Opals have the possibility of cracking when exposed to rapid changes in temperature, pressure, or when in contact with certain chemicals. It is also important not to store your opals in a very dry place, as Opals can crack if they don’t have enough moisture. They are best stored wrapped in a soft damp cloth but do not overexpose Opals to moisture. Porous Opals absorb water from the environment quickly and it may change their appearance and colour temporarily or permanently. Oiling is commonly used to sustain durability and beauty of the gem. Some Opals may need to be oiled yearly, especially in dry climates. It is not recommended to clean Opal jewellery in ultrasonic cleaners. Extra care should be taken of faceted Opals as well, fragility of the gem is the very reason why it is commonly found in cabochon shapes rather than faceted. Sharp facets can easily break and chip, so when set in prong settings, Opal jewellery requires especially delicate use.
Emerald Jewellery. We recommend taking extra care with all Emerald jewellery. Though Emerald is harder than Opal, it is not as tough as Diamond, Sapphire, or Ruby. If not cared for properly, Emeralds can be scratched, dented, cracked, or damaged by changes in temperature or pressure, or when in contact with harsh chemicals. Most Emeralds have some kind of internal fissures which make the gems more fragile and prone to accidental breakage. Therefore, oiling is also commonly used to support Emeralds' durability. Some Emeralds need to be oiled yearly, especially in dry climates. It is not recommended to clean Emerald jewellery in ultrasonic cleaners.
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