Although most fine jewellery is often created to last years, decades, and sometimes even generations, general wear and tear, if left unchecked, can have potentially disastrous consequences for its longevity – from deep scratches in the precious metal, to the complete loss of your valuable gemstones.
Even daily dust, pollution, and grease – which also includes hand creams and moisturisers – can quickly dull your jewellery’s brilliance and shorten the lifespan of softer metals or stones.
In order to ensure that your jewellery can one day become a beautiful family heirloom – one that’s ready to be passed on for generations – you must first make sure that it’s properly cared for at all times.
To help you achieve this, we’ve put together a few simple steps that you can take to guarantee that your precious jewellery stays looking as good as the day you bought it.
Keep It Clean
While professional cleaning is usually only necessary once a year, jewellery can often become extremely dirty or tired looking with daily wear. This is where DIY jewellery care and cleaning come into play. Make sure to see our guides How to Clean Your Silver at Home, and How to Clean Your Gold at Home. Alternately, we offer a professional jewellery cleaning service too.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals
To keep your jewellery looking sparkling, it’s always important to limit exposure to the damaging effects of harsh chemicals. Make sure to keep your precious pieces away from household cleaners, sprays, and polish removers, and avoid wearing your jewellery while cleaning.
Check Gemstones Regularly
Over time, precious gemstones can gradually become loose in their mounting. This can often be caused by things like accidental knocks, snags on clothing, or weakened and worn soft-metal prongs.
If left unchecked, this can often lead to a loose gemstone falling out of its setting completely. Find out more by seeing our guide on how to check you jewellery for loose gemstones.
Store It Correctly
Proper storage is probably one of the most overlooked factors in keeping your jewellery looking its very best. Although it’s always ideal to keep your precious pieces in a jewellery box, the key to avoiding accidental damage is to store them separately in their own spaces.
If jewellery is stored together, hard gemstones like diamonds will scratch precious metals, as well as likely chip other softer gems, such as pearls or emeralds. The best jewellery boxes have many separate compartments, lined with soft, un-abrasive materials to avoid scratching.
Visit Your Jeweller Often
If your jewellery has been damaged, or if you’re in doubt about how to clean or care for your precious pieces, it’s always important to seek the advice of a professional jeweller.
Regular check-ups with a jeweller can help you to identify early signs of damage and prevent you from losing gemstones due to worn or damaged prongs. These inspections are generally offered for free with any professional clean, and for best results, we recommend having your jewellery professionally cleaned at least once a year.
Need help?
At Martin Gear Jewellers, we’ve been manufacturing, repairing, selling, and cleaning jewellery for decades, right from our Dublin City centre shop. Simply drop into our store on 5 Mary St, Dublin 1, or alternatively, just give us a call now on (01) 872 8726 and we’d be happy to help.
For more information on our full range of services, click here.