JEWELLERY CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Jewellery is not made to be kept away in boxes but worn and enjoyed throughout life, however Jewellery will not maintain itself, how we look after our pieces will affect how they appear over time.

Daily Wear & Tear

We advise taking off your jewellery when involved in any strenuous activity, as unfortunate knocks can leave dents and scratches that may be difficult or expensive to repair. We recommend taking your jewellery off before exercising, swimming, cleaning, gardening, decorating, and working with animals or children.

Cleaning

With daily wear our jewellery can trap dirt, dust, make up and creams making the overall appearance of the metal and the stones seem much duller. Before cleaning we advise carefully looking at your

To clean you jewellery we advise placing the item into a warm bowl of soapy water, a few drops of fairy liquid should work well, for about 30 minutes, this will allow any dirt to soften. Then take a soft bristled toothbrush ( a baby toothbrush would be an advisable option) and gently clean around the piece, dipping it in and out of the water to release any loose dirt. After cleaning, rinse the piece in warm water and dry with a soft cloth. Polishing cloths are available however read the instructions carefully, some may affect plated or oxidised pieces.

Doing this every now and then will prevent everyday dirt and dust from building up however we advise taking your jewellery to get professionally cleaned and polished once a year. With a professional polish, small surface scratches can be removed and a high polish can be restored as well as other finishes.

Maintenance

Taking your jewellery to be checked over and given a service every year is an excellent way of insuring your jewellery will last. In a service, Amy will check the wear of the setting, shank and stones. Claws can be tightened and any sharp edges smoothed and a thurough clean and polish will be included. Catching signs of slight wear early makes it far less expensive to repair and prevents extensive work later down the line.

With all expensive and sentimental items of jewellery we stongly advise having each piece insured and valued by an accredited Valuer. You can find a directory of professional valuers at the www.naj.co.uk