The magical part of fine jewelry is that it truly does last forever. We often have clients come into the store with pieces from their grandparents, if not their great-grandparents! A lot of times the settings are still intact and they are looking for a way to give the piece a modern update. However, I think it’s important to note that there is often nothing ‘wrong’ with the jewelry. It truly has stood the test of time.
While fine jewelry can handle most wear and tear of everyday life, it’s helpful to highlight the importance of jewelry maintenance and care. By incorporating a few small practices you can extend the life of your jewelry by years.
This month to encourage all of you to become a little bit more mindful about your jewelry, we are offering a back-to-school promotion. Feel free to stop by the store anytime in September to receive a cleaning and polishing of your jewelry for $25. We’ll also give the piece a thorough inspection to ensure all the settings are tight to reduce the risk of losing any diamonds. It’s the perfect time of year to get this done as the holidays are right upon us! This will ensure your favorite set of earrings, ring or watch is sparkly and bright for all the upcoming festivities.
In keeping with our back-to-school theme, honesty and education is at the core of our success. I want to share some tips with you to keep your jewelry looking gorgeous, even when you are too busy to stop in to have the piece cleaned by a professional.
Storage
It’s always important to store your jewelry in a hard box with a soft, velvety cushion so the jewelry is protected and not easily scratched. Most of you already adhere to this simple practice, however did you know there is a way to keep your silver jewelry from tarnishing? You can simply place these anti-tarnishing strips in the jewelry box with your silver items. While it won’t completely stop the tarnishing process, it does slow it down significantly. An inexpensive buy that saves you time from constantly having to polish your silver jewelry.
*Tip* Cut them in half to get double the strips.
Cleaning & Polishing
I always recommend to our clients that they come back for a check-up on their jewelry every so often. Much like going to see a doctor for an annual physical or bringing your car in for yearly maintenance, it would be useful to see more of our customers put a yearly reminder on the calendar to come in for a professional cleaning and polishing. Having a professional cleaning and polishing means that a trained jeweler will be inspecting your jewelry and then putting it through a thorough cleaning process.
In between professional cleanings the best home DIY cleaning method starts with something you already own: a super soft toothbrush and dish soap. Please be sure to put your drain stop in before you try this out!!! We don’t want you losing your precious valuables down the drain. Something to note, I don’t recommend using a jewelry polish solution. A lot of these solutions sold on the market can actually be harmful to the jewelry as the chemicals strip off a layer of metal and can actually impact the integrity of the piece over time.
Lastly, some clients swear by a device called an ultrasonic. This machine is one we actually use in store. However, be sure to read the instructions very carefully. Some softer stones such as opals and pearls don’t do well with the vibration and heat which can damage them. When in doubt, always bring your jewelry to a professional for cleaning and polishing. We have over 30 years experience not only creating but also caring for fine jewelry. We can shine it up for you without all that extra worry.
Maintenance
One tool I think is the most useful for any jeweler to own is a loupe. This is the tiny magnifying glass that lets you get an up close and personal look of your jewelry. It’s an essential that belongs in any professional jeweler’s tool kit, but often can be helpful to have stored away in your jewelry box as well. This allows you to inspect the jewelry every so often. Catching a worn away prong or a loose stone can save tons of heartache from having a stone fall out of the setting at an inopportune time (read: you don’t want a diamond plunging to the bottom of the ocean on a vacation scuba dive).
I hope you found these tips helpful. While it’s important to know how to care for jewelry it’s also something that shouldn’t cause any stress. Fine jewelry crafted with love and care is built to last. It never hurts to give the work some tender loving care every so often. Please take us up on our offer this month for a cleaning and polishing. You’ll find this service is often much more expensive and I wanted to bring it to you at a discounted cost. We pride ourselves on creating lifelong relationships with our clientele and this is just another tiny perk to express our gratitude.