Caring for your jewellery at home

Most jewellery needs little more than a few good habits. Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap and a soft brush, such as a clean old toothbrush, is enough for most gold and gemstone pieces. Brush gently around the setting to lift dirt and oils, rinse well, and dry with a soft cloth before putting it away.

Keep jewellery out of chlorinated pools, which are hard on gold over time. Put perfume and cleaning products on before your jewellery, not onto it. Soft or fragile stones, such as opal, emerald and pearl, should not go in a home ultrasonic cleaner.

Store pieces separately rather than together in one dish or pouch. Metal rubbing on metal, or on stones, is one of the most common causes of scratches.

Rings are worth having checked once a year. Claws loosen gradually with wear, often without you noticing, and a loose claw is the most common way a stone is lost. If you have a gold piece with stones, bring it in every twelve months and we will check the setting for you. We also clean and polish jewellery at our bench.