Jewellery Maintenance: The Top To-Dos

Diamonds attract grease, opals and pearls might discolour, craze and crack if exposed to the wrong chemicals, water, or too much direct sunlight, white gold needs rhodium plating, silver needs cleaning from tarnish, aquamarines will highlight grime under the stone and emeralds may need oiling to keep them from cleaving and losing their vibrant colour. Gold and silver will wear down over time with regular use and both gold and platinum love a good polish to buff out those accrued scratches.

Please do not be put off jewellery though—whatever the metal or gemstone you buy, ALL jewellery involves some kind of maintenance to keep it looking beautiful and in great condition so it can be worn and enjoyed time and time again for many years. The best approach is to match up the gemstone and metal with your lifestyle and level of maintenance that you will be able to do.

Precious metals and gems have to be soft enough to craft, cut, shape, and polish so it is only natural they will also be susceptible to scratches and other minor accidents when worn. By learning about the maintenance and cleaning procedures for your jewellery will help to prolong its life and keep it looking as stunning as the day you bought it.

Kite Shaped Aquamarine and Diamond Pendant

Here are our top to-dos to keep your jewellery in the best condition possible to improve its longevity and your pleasure in wearing it.

1. Clean Regularly

Daily wipe: Use a soft cloth for daily wiping to remove dirt build up and oils from the skin and body lotions and hand creams.

Light clean: For the in-between lighter clean you can buy quality products such as dips, pens and cloths to use at home yourself. (See image above Connoisseurs cleaning dip) For silver if it isn’t being worn and it hasn’t been rhodium plated you will need to polish it with a special silver cloth to keep tarnish at bay.
(Tarnishing is a natural process where the metal reacts with the air and moisture and creates a darker layer on the surface or little white flecks called ‘milk spots.’)

Deep clean: For deeper cleaning, soak jewellery in a mix of lukewarm water and mild dish soap, then gently scrub with a soft-bristle baby toothbrush. Please be aware this should only be for diamond jewellery. Other gemstones may not be able to be submerged in liquids and care must be taken for claw set pieces. Different materials and gemstones require specific care. If in doubt, please ask us—that is what we are here for.

Channel Set Ruby and Diamond Half Eternity Ring

2. Book in Professional Level Cleaning

Hand creams, sun lotion, and even soil from gardening can find their way into the crevices of your rings and stones, dulling their shine over time. These stubborn build-ups are tricky to clean without professional tools. If your jewellery has lost its sparkle, why not pop in for a same-day clean and polish? It’s the perfect way to boost your shimmer and restore the sparkle! We clean the stones, check the claws and setting and polish the metal until it looks like new again.

We offer three levels of professional cleaning:

• Level 1 (20 minutes): Stone check, ultrasonic clean, and steam clean.

• Level 2 (60 minutes): Includes Level 1 services plus a full metal polish.

• Level 3 (2 hours): Includes Level 2 services plus rhodium plating for silver or white gold.

(Note: Some jewellery requires additional care. Certain gemstones cannot withstand ultrasonic cleaning. We thoroughly inspect all items beforehand and will notify you of any potential issues.)

Cushion Cut Diamond Halo Cluster Ring

3. Inspect Your Jewellery

Check Your Claws and get them retipped

• Regularly examine claws on rings, pendants, and earrings for wear or lifting.

• Fluff caught in the claws or sharp edges may indicate they need attention.

• Rings may need retipping/reclawing every five years or sooner if exposed to frequent manual tasks.

Monitor Clasps and Hinges

• Clasps and hinges and even safety chains on bracelets, bangles, and earrings wear down from constant opening and closing.

• Check for looseness or breakage during cleaning and before wearing.

Restring Pearls Annually

• Pearls worn regularly should be restrung every year.

• Store them flat to avoid the string stretching or tearing.

• Inspect for fraying near clasps.

Multi Band Mixed Gemstone Ring in 9ct Yellow Gold

4. Store Properly

Storage really does matter. Proper storage minimises exposure to chemicals, light, scratches, and dust, and prevents chains from tangling preserving your jewellery’s beauty.

• Store each piece in a soft cloth bag, jewellery box, or individual compartment to prevent scratches.

• Keep softer gemstones away from harder ones like diamonds to avoid damage.

• Use high-quality, cushioned jewellery boxes (e.g. Wolf brand with anti-tarnish linings like LusterLoc) so you don’t have to keep polishing silver items.

• Lay chains and delicate bracelets flat to avoid tangling.

Amethyst Carved Half Hoop Ring

5. Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Remove jewellery before using cleaning products, swimming in chlorinated pools, or applying lotions, perfumes, or hairsprays, as these can damage metals, solders and gemstones.

Tourmaline and Diamond Ring in Platinum

6. Handle with Care and Remove During Certain Activities

Our lifestyles are not always sedentary, quite the contrary, our busy hectic schedules have us running against the clock and often we do not consciously notice how much we use our hands and how much we expose our jewellery to knocks, bumps and scrapes. There is only so much abrasion and impact our jewellery can take before it breaks or a stone cleaves.

• Take off rings and bracelets during activities like gardening, heavy lifting, or exercising to prevent physical damage from knocks and abrasion or loss.

• Avoid pulling aggressively on delicate chains or clasps and remove jewellery before sleeping to avoid damage, stretching or tangling.

• Avoid wearing jewellery whilst cooking or cleaning, as dirt, grease and food can become lodged in intricate settings especially in rings. We once had a lady visit us worried that her stone had discoloured—it turned out that it was dried old mashed potato stuck under the stone that had gone mouldy.

Yellow Sapphire Pendant in 9ct Yellow gold

7. Protect from Extreme Conditions

Keep jewellery away from extreme heat or sudden temperature changes like saunas and snowy pistes, which can damage gemstones that are sensitive. High heat exposure can change the colour of stones and mother-of-pearl. Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, which can fade certain gemstones like amethyst, pearls, topaz, opals and aquamarines.

White Gold Claw Set Diamond Line Bracelet