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Cleaning your Diamond and Gold Jewellery
Diamonds will develop a film build up of oils from lotions, powders, soaps, and
natural
skin oils which take away from their brilliance and sparkle. Chemicals in
the air can slightly oxidize the mountings of precious jewelry depending on the
karat grade used.
Diamonds should be cleaned so that the maximum amount of light can then enter
and return in a fiery brilliance. A little effort on your part will
keep your jewelry looking new like the day you first wore it.
Four Ways to Clean your Diamond and Gold Jewellery
Detergent Bath
Use any mild liquid detergent found in your home (such as dishwashing soap)
and prepare a small bowl of warm suds. Brush the pieces with an eyebrow brush or
toothbrush while they are in the bath. Then transfer them to a wire tea strainer
and rinse under warm running water. Then pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Cold Water Soak
Make a solution out of 50% cold water and 50% household ammonia in a cup. Soak
the pieces for 30 minutes. Lift out and tap gently around the back and front of
the mounting with an eyebrow brush or toothbrush. Swish in the solution once
more and let the jewelry drain on tissue paper. Rinse them well with warm water
and dry.
Quick-Dip Method
Buy a brand-name liquid jewelry cleaners found in many stores. Cleaning
instructions vary depending on the kit, so read the label and follow its
instructions. Be careful selecting the cleaner, some cleaners are abrasive and
will clean well but damage jewellery.
Do not touch your clean diamonds with your fingers but hold them by the edges. We at JK Schmidt Jewellers use and recommend 'Hagerty' brand jewellery, gold,
silver and pearl silver cleaner; they are the industry standard and
non-abrasive.
Ultrasonic Cleaner
This is a small machine that will clean any piece of jewelry that can be
dipped in a liquid in a matter of minutes. There are many varieties of
ultrasonic cleaners, but they all consist of a metal cup that you fill with
water and detergent.
When the machine is turned on, a high-frequency motion creates the cleaning
action. Since each machine is slightly different, read the instructions
very carefully before use. Home ultrasonic cleaners are available for purchase
at JK Schmidt
Jewellers.
Storing Your Diamonds
When you are not wearing diamonds and precious jewelry, they still require
proper storage.
Keep your precious pieces in a fabric-lined jewel case, or a box with
compartments or dividers. If you cannot separate your jewelry in your jewelry
box, wrap each piece individually in tissue paper or place in small plastic
pouches.
Don't jumble your diamond pieces in a drawer or jewelry case, because diamonds
can scratch your other pieces of jewelry, or even scratch and damage each other. We can't emphasize this enough - if a diamond impacts another diamond or
gemstone it can do very serious damage. Store your jewellery pieces separately!
Traveling With Your Diamond Jewellery
The packing of your diamonds and other precious pieces for travel should be
given care.
There are many types of jewelry traveling carryalls on the market. They come in
all sizes, shapes and patterns and most have velvet linings inside to attach
pins and earrings, and compartments to place your bracelets and necklaces.
To keep your jewelry looking it's best when you arrive; pack a small plastic
bottle of prepared jewelry cleaner.
If traveling internationally consider taking along copies of bills of sale
and/or appraisals of the jewellery traveling with you to prevent any customs
situations.
Watches Containing Diamonds
A wristwatch containing diamonds should never be "dipped" in any liquid. The
best method for cleaning diamond watches is to use a jeweler's polishing cloth
to clean all metal surfaces of the watch and bracelet.
Clean gently on the diamonds, rough
abrasive polishing can loosen them in
their settings. Moisture is the enemy of
any wristwatch - don't get it wet. Best
bring it to a jeweller to have the
movement removed and the case and
bracelet
professionally cleaned.
Caring for Your Diamond Ring
Even though you wear your diamond
engagement ring 24 hours a day, you
should still be concerned about it's
care from time to time.
Don't wear it when you are doing rough
work. A diamond is the hardest substance
on earth, however if hit at the perfect
cleavage angle with force, it will chip
or crack.
Don't ever let your jewelry come in
contact with chlorine bleach when you
are doing household chores and keep it
out of the hot tub and chlorinated
pools.
See your jeweler, at least once a year
(we recommend every 6 months) and have
your jewellery cleaned and checked to
ensure all gems, prongs, clasps and
settings are tight and secure.
At JK Schmidt Jewellers you'll get a
professional "shine-up" too and there is
never a charge for this service.
Take care of your diamond jewelry and
you and your family will enjoy them for
generations to come!
Cleaning Gold Jewellery
Gold will develop a film build up of
oils from lotions, powders, soaps, and
natural skin oils, which takes away from
its beauty. Chemicals in the air can
slightly oxidize the gold depending on
the karat grade used.
Don't let your gold jewelry come in
contact with chlorine bleach when you
are doing household chores because it
can damage jewelry over time. Also keep
jewellery out of chlorinated pools.
A little time and effort on your part
will keep your jewelry looking new like
the day you first wore it. The four ways
to clean diamonds listed above also
should be used to clean your gold
jewellery.
Care of Coloured Gems
Gems are among the most durable of
nature’s creations. With a little
care, they will be as beautiful for
generations to come as they are today.
To keep your gems sparkling, clean them
when dust and fingerprints have dimmed
their brilliance. The best way to
clean your gemstone jewelry is in a bowl
of water with a few drops of ordinary
dish detergent. Using an old
toothbrush or other soft brush, scrub
gently behind the stone where dust and
soap can collect. Then just rinse
and pat try with a soft cloth.
A home ultrasonic cleaner should be used
with extreme caution. It can be
used to clean ruby, sapphire, diamond,
iolite, amethyst, citrine, garnets,
iolite, chrysoberyl, and unadorned gold
jewelry but it may damage gems like
emerald, pink tourmaline, peridot,
pearls, coral, lapis lazuli, malachite,
turquoise, and any gem that has many
inclusions. When in doubt, best
not to use it.
Organic gems like pearls, amber, and
coral require special care because they
are porous. Make sure you don’t
expose them to the chemicals in hair
products, fragrances and cosmetics.
Store them in a cloth-lined box or pouch
and keep them away from other jewelry,
which might scratch them. To clean
them, simply wipe clean with a soft
cloth. Strands of pearls should be
restrung if the cord frays or stretches
so that individual pearls move.
To keep your gemstone rings looking
brilliant, remove them before vigorous
exercise or working with your hands.
Some gem varieties might be damaged with
a sharp blow. When removing your
rings, don’t pull them off by the
gemstone: this won’t damage the gem but
it can, over time, stretch the metal
that holds it in place, making the
setting less secure.
To protect the beauty of your gems and
jewelry, make sure you store each piece
separately. Gems may scratch each other
or the metal in your jewelry.
Avoid creating a tangle of jewelry by
wrapping each piece individually or
keeping it in its own compartment.
Especially when you travel, make sure
your jewelry pieces don’t jostle each
other in one bag.
If you have jewelry, perhaps passed down
to you, that has seen better days or
doesn’t suit your style, consider
resetting the gems into a modern piece.
Gems should be worn and enjoyed, not
kept locked away in a safety deposit
box.
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