Caring for your jewellery

Cleaning at home

Most fine jewellery can be cleaned at home with warm water, a small amount of mild dish soap, and a soft brush — a baby toothbrush works well. Work gently around settings, rinse thoroughly, and dry with a soft lint-free cloth. This is safe for gold, platinum, and most hard gemstones including diamonds, sapphires, and rubies.

What not to use

Avoid anything abrasive — toothpaste is often suggested but it scratches soft metals and stones. Bleach and household cleaners can damage metals and dissolve the adhesives used in some settings. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners for:

• —Pearls — the vibration damages nacre and can weaken the silk thread on strands.
• —Emeralds — most are oil-treated; ultrasonic cleaning removes the oil and can open fractures.
• —Opals — porous and sensitive to heat and vibration.
• —Treated or fracture-filled stones — the treatment can be damaged or removed.
• —Antique pieces with fragile settings — vibration can loosen stones that were already at risk.

Silver

Silver tarnishes naturally when exposed to air and sulphur compounds. A silver polishing cloth removes light tarnish quickly without scratching. For heavier tarnish, a specialist silver cleaning solution works well — follow the instructions carefully and avoid contact with gemstones. Store silver in anti-tarnish pouches or cloth to slow the process.

Pearls

Pearls are organic and require gentler care than most other jewellery. Wipe them with a soft damp cloth after wearing — sweat, perfume, and skin oils dull the surface over time. Never submerge pearl strands; water weakens the silk thread. Have pearl strands restrung periodically, or whenever the thread shows signs of stretch or discolouration.

What to avoid

Most jewellery damage comes not from cleaning mistakes but from everyday exposure to things that degrade metal and stone.

• —Perfume and hairspray — apply these before putting on jewellery. Alcohol and propellants dull surfaces and can damage certain stones and coatings.
• —Chlorine — swimming pool water is particularly damaging. Chlorine weakens gold alloys over time, can loosen settings, and permanently damages pearls and many coloured stones. Remove jewellery before swimming.
• —Cleaning products — household chemicals including bleach, ammonia, and acetone can pit metal surfaces and damage certain stones. Remove rings before cleaning.
• —Physical impact — diamonds are hard but brittle; a sharp knock can chip them. Softer stones and opals are more vulnerable. Remove rings before gardening, sport, or manual work.
• —Sleeping in jewellery — rings and bracelets can catch on bedding and bend prongs. Necklaces can tangle or break. It is a habit worth avoiding.

Storage

How jewellery is stored matters as much as how it is cleaned. The main risks are scratching, tangling, and tarnish.

• —Store pieces separately — diamonds will scratch gold, platinum, and softer stones. Each piece should have its own compartment, pouch, or box.
• —Hang necklaces — storing chains flat leads to tangles. A hook or jewellery stand keeps them separate and damage-free.
• —Avoid humidity — bathrooms are a poor storage location. Humidity accelerates tarnish in silver and can affect certain stones and organic materials like pearls and coral.
• —Anti-tarnish strips — placing these in a jewellery box slows tarnish on silver without touching the pieces directly.
• —Keep original boxes — for significant pieces, the original box provides good individual protection and matters for resale.

Professional servicing

Even well-maintained jewellery benefits from periodic professional attention. A jeweller can catch problems before they become expensive — a loose stone is far cheaper to secure than to replace.

For rings worn daily, an annual check is sensible. A jeweller will inspect the prongs and settings, check for any cracks or wear in the metal, and clean the piece professionally. They can also re-polish, re-plate white gold, or re-tip worn prongs as needed.

Watches with mechanical movements should be serviced every three to five years. The service includes cleaning and lubricating the movement, checking water resistance seals, and timing the movement. Leaving a mechanical watch unserviced for many years risks increased wear and, eventually, damage to the movement.

Insurance

Home contents insurance often provides limited cover for jewellery — commonly a per-item limit of £1,000 to £2,000, and sometimes only within the home. Pieces of significant value are routinely underinsured under a standard contents policy.

Specialist jewellery insurance covers pieces at full replacement value, typically worldwide, and often without the excess charges applied by contents policies. To obtain adequate cover, you will need a current professional valuation. Valuations for insurance purposes should be updated every three to five years, as replacement costs change over time.

Keep a photographic record of significant pieces alongside their valuations. In the event of a claim, documentation of what you owned — and what it was worth — makes the process considerably more straightforward.