Jewelry Care

Cleaning Gold Jewelry

As with all metals, gold can dull over time due to contact with skin oils, powders and lotions.The best way to clean gold jewelry at home, including gold jewelry with diamonds and sapphires, is with warm soapy water (dishwashing liquid works fine) and a soft toothbrush. After rinsing, it should then be dried with a soft lint-free cloth. At this point you can use a commercially available precious metal polishing cloth to buff up the metal setting and it won’t hurt the gemstone. Polish areas of the piece in one direction to maximize shine. Never clean your jewelry with solvents such as alcohol, acetone or paint thinner.

Avoiding Damage

You can help avoid damage like scratched and bent rings and chipped gemstones by removing your rings before activities that expose them to impact. For example things like weightlifting, working with tools, sports activities and gardening. Also, it is good practice when storing your jewelry, to place each of your jewelry pieces in separate boxes or cloth bags to keep them from knocking against each other and getting scratched when moved.

You should remove your jewelry to bathe and wash your hands. Avoid swimming in chlorinated water while wearing your ring(s).

Remove your ring(s) before using harsh chemicals (includes many household cleaners), greases and solvents. Also avoid applying hairspray, perfumes and lotions while wearing your rings.

Avoid scratches by removing your ring(s) before using abrasives.

It is also good practice to store each of your jewelry pieces in separate boxes or cloth bags to keep them from scratching each other.

Preventative Maintenance

Over the years, and especially with daily wear, the prongs that hold gemstones in place can wear down and/or become bent if they catch on things. This can result in unsecure gemstones. If you notice that a gemstone is loose, take your ring to a local trusted jeweler and they can perform routine repairs such as prong re tipping to resecure the gemstone. While your own inspections can often spot unsecure gemstones, it is good practice to take gemstone rings you wear daily to the jeweler every year for a more detailed inspection and repairs if necessary.