You’ve invested a lot into your jewellery collection, so it’s important that you take the best care of them so they’ll stay looking shiny and beautiful for years to come. Here are several tips and tricks on how you can properly take care of your jewellery.
Sterling Silver
Using a 100% cotton cloth, gently clean your sterling silver jewellery. As it’s a very soft metal, avoid rubbing to aggressively, as you’re likely to scratch it. Unless you have a sterling silver cleaning cloth, don’t use anything other than pure cotton for cleaning. Other materials and dirt build up can cause tiny scratches across the surface.
Rhodium Plated Silver
Cleaned with warm water and mild soap before drying it off with a soft cloth immediately. This prevents the water’s minerals from creating a residue. That’s all you need to do to keep rhodium plated jewellery clean. Avoid using harsh chemicals, a toothbrush, an ultrasonic cleaner, abrasives, ammonia-based products or silver dips.
Pearls
Keep pearl jewellery in a cloth pouch separate from other pieces. Pearls are soft and can be easily scratched, nicked or otherwise damaged when they come in contact with other pieces of jewellery. Wear pearls often? Then you’ll need to wipe them down after every wear, as acid produced by your skin can cause the pearl to lose its lustre. To maintain its lustre, use a small drop of olive oil when wiping it down with a cloth. Heat and other chemicals can damage a pearl, so don’t wear pearl jewellery when cleaning, doing your makeup or hair or when cooking with heat.
Gold
Pure gold jewellery doesn’t tarnish, but it can look dull thanks to the build-up of natural oils, body lotion and other substances. Luckily, gold can easily be cleaned with mild soap and a soft cloth.
Filling
To keep gold filled jewellery clean, simply wipe it down with a soft cloth. To clean hard to reach places, grab a small bowl and fill it with hot water and a few drops of liquid soap. Leaving to soak for a few hours or overnight.
Plating
Store separately from other jewellery, as scratches can cause the gold plating to wear away faster. Wrap it in a soft material when it’s not being worn, also preventing dirt and dust from building on the surface. Use a jewellery polishing cloth to clean gold plated jewellery.
Stainless Steel
This material won’t rust, is very durable and can withstand constant wear and tear. However, it can tarnish over time with frequent wear. Avoid contact with chemicals such as lotions, harsh cleaners and chlorine to keep stainless steel jewellery clean. When it needs to be cleaned, use a small amount of mild soap with warm water and a soft cloth to dry it.
Gemstones
While hard as a rock, gemstones can still be damaged if mishandled, as no gem is 100% invincible against chipping or scratching. Don’t pull a ring off by the stone, as this can loosen it over time and fall out. It’s best to avoid storing gemstones jewellery together, as they can scratch one another, whether it’s other stones or the metal finishes. As gemstones need to be cleaned regularly, use a bowl instead of the sink to prevent the possibility of rings and smaller pieces from falling down the drain. Use gentle soap and a soft cloth or toothbrush to clean behind the stone and never use harsh chemicals when cleaning them.
At Rain City Jewellers, we use the finest materials to cater to your custom jewellery needs. Our Vancouver jewellery store specialized in engagement rings, custom jewellery, diamond earrings and more. Stop by our shop anytime or visit our website for more information.