We realize that it?s virtually impossible to shield your jewelry from the daily hustle and bustle of life. After all, you?re supposed to enjoy wearing your jewelry, not worry about it. However, by following the tips bellow, you can keep your jewelry beautiful simply by limiting its exposure to certain conditions.


CARING FOR YOUR JEWELRY

These simple guidelines, along with some common sense, should help keep your jewelry looking great for years:

- Never wear your jewelry while doing rough work, even though a most jewelry is durable, a hard blow can chip a stone.

- If you notice a loose gemstone in your jewelry, bring it to a qualified jeweler. It?s a good idea to have a jeweler check the setting in your diamond or gemstone jewelry at least once a year. Occasionally check your jewelry for loose stones. Shake or tap it lightly with your forefinger while holding it next to your ear.

- Remove your jewelry before bathing and grooming. Think of your jewelry as the final touch and put it on right before you get on with your day. Hairspray, gel, body lotion, moisturizer, perfume, mousse, make-up, shaving cream and soap are chemicals that can leave a residue on jewelry, creating a dull film that is very difficult to remove.

- To be safe, always remove your jewelry before working with chlorine bleach. Chlorine is detrimental to gold and may be harmful to your gemstone.

- Keep it dry. Using water to clean and rinse some of your jewelry is permissible; however, make sure it?s dried thoroughly when you?re done. Certain jewelry, such as pearl and gemstone jewelry, should never be soaked in water or worn when bathing.

- When you?re not wearing your jewelry, be sure to store it in a fabric-lined case or in a box with dividers or separate compartments. Jewelry pieces can scratch each other.

- Avoid wearing jewelry while participating in contact sports or doing housework, gardening, repairs, etc.

- When you set jewelry near to a sink, make sure the drains are plugged.

- Don't remove rings by pulling on any of their gemstones.

Everything you own will last longer if you take care of them. Clothing has written instructions like, "no bleach", "dry clean only", etc. Cars, stereos and electronics come with manuals. With gemstones you must look for brochures, books or ask salespeople for instruction on how to take care of your investment.

Many gems are very delicate and susceptible to thermal shock or temperature changes. These include emerald, garnet, kunzite, opal, peridot, quartz, tanzanite, topaz and tourmaline. You should not for example, lay in the sum and then jump in a pool while wearing these gems, nor should you go from a hot tube to a cold shower. If you do, the sudden temperature change could cause the stones to crack or shatter.

With some stones, including amethyst, emerald, kunzite, malachite, opal, red tourmaline and turquoise, you should avoid any heat in general. Don't leave these gemstones in a sunny window sill or wear them to the beach. It could make some of these gems fade and it could dry out and discolor the fillings in emerald. It could also cause small cracks in some malachite, opal and turquoise.

The safest way to clean a gemstone is to wash it in lukewarm water using a mild liquid soap or detergent that contains no ammonia. Then dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth. If the dirt can't be washed off with a cloth, try using a toothpick to remove it. If that doesn't work, have a professional to clean it.

See Also:

Caring For Your Gemstone