Jewellery Care Guide | Phillips Jewellers

JEWELLRY CARE & CLEANING GUIDE

With some care and attention your jewellery can look as good as new, with sparkle and shine, to last a lifetime. You can do this very easily at home by following our jewellery care and cleaning guide.

Caring for Your Jewellery

Keep your jewelry in great shape with these simple tips:

Store Your Jewellery Carefully

⚈ Store your jewellery in an airtight space such as a jewellery box, pouch or zip lock bag to keep it dust free, and to reduce tarnishing of precious metals caused by humid environments.
⚈ It is not a good idea to store your jewellery in the bathroom.
⚈If you live in a humid area, place a small bag of silica get in your jewellery box.
⚈Your silver will also benefit from being kept in a dark place.
⚈Keep pieces separate from each other to avoid scratches and entanglement.
⚈Keep chains in held in place in their dedicated boxes or between slits made in pieces of card.
⚈ Pearls and opals should be stored in fabric instead of plastic because they like to "breathe".

Protecting The Jewellery

⚈ Remove your jewellery before any activity that could result in impact with hard surfaces such as when taking part in sports, gardening or heavy duty work.
⚈ Protect precious stones and metals from chemicals that can cause tarnishing or corrosion or a build up of grime. For example, avoid contact with household cleaning agents, perfumes, skin care products and chlorine in swimming pools.
⚈In general, keep your jewellery dry by removing it when bathing and cleaning.
⚈Take it off before you go to bed.

“A good rule of thumb is to let the jewellery be the last thing you put on in the morning and the first thing you remove in the evening.”

Check Your Jewellery

⚈ One of the most important, basic things you can do to protect your jewellery is to inspect it regularly.
⚈ Before you put on your jewellery, take a few moments to carefully look it over and ensure that nothing is loose or unsteady and that there are no hairline cracks or other issues.
⚈If there are signs of damage or some gemstones appear to be loose, prevent further damage or lost gemstones by visiting our store where our professional jewelers will assess it and make the necessary repairs.
⚈You may notice a build up of tarnish on your metal pieces or your gemstones may appear to have lost some glow. It’s a good idea to clean all your pieces at least once or twice a year or more frequently if they are worn daily.
⚈Regularly cleaning jewellery will help to keep it looking as gorgeous as the day it was purchased.

JEWELLRY CLEANING GUIDE

If your gemstones appear to have lost their glow or you notice tarnishing on your gold and silver pieces, the good news is cleaning your pieces at home is relatively easy. Each piece of jewellery is unique and will have a particular cleaning method suited to it. It’s a good idea to check with your jeweller so you know the best cleaning method to apply. See our general guide to cleaning specific types of jewellery further down in this article.

Polish It With A Lint Free Cloth:

If in doubt all jewellery will benefit from gentle cleaning with a soft, dry lint-free cloth.

Give It A Wash:

⚈ Most jewellery will benefit from washing in warm water using a gentle liquid soap or mild washing up liquid.
⚈ Use a cloth or soft toothbrush to help clear build up of grime from cervices.
⚈ Make sure you dry the jewellery immediately and thoroughly using a soft lint-free cloth.
⚈ Never dry your jewellery with kitchen paper towels or tissues as this may cause scratching or build up of particles in crevices of your jewellery.

Using Precious Metal Polishing Cloths:

⚈ If your precious metal jewellery is tarnished, use a precious metal polishing cloth to remove it.
⚈ Use the polishing cloth specific to the metal you are cleaning, for example only use the gold polishing cloth for your gold pieces and the silver polishing cloth for silver pieces.
⚈ Once you're happy, give the piece a rinse and dry it (as per drying instructions above) to remove any chemical residue.

Jewellery Cleaning Liquids:

⚈ Cleaning liquids are fast, effective and affordable and easy to use at home. For example silver dip is specially designed to remove oxidation or discoloration from the metal and will remove dirt from any stones set in the jewellery.
⚈ Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and always rinse well and dry when you're done.
⚈ Never use cleaning solutions for un-specified jewellery types, for example, gold and diamond jewellery cleaner should only be used to clean gold, while silver cleaning solution should only be used to clean silver.
⚈ Cleaning solutions are not recommended for plated metals and should not be used on pre-oxidised metals i.e. jewellery that has blackened areas as part of the design.
⚈ Similarly, do not use liquid cleaning solutions on soft gemstones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, pearls, and opals or on costume jewellery.

Ultrasonic Cleaners:

⚈ If grime and dust are harder to remove from more intricate pieces, then look into getting a cheap ultrasonic cleaner and follow the instructions.
⚈ The ultrasonic cleaner won't remove tarnish, but it will work a treat with complex pieces which have lots of crevices where dirt can accumulate and stick.
⚈ Do not use this cleaning method on silver jewellery that has blackened areas as part of the design or on jewellery which has soft gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise or pearls.

Avoid Harsh Cleaning:

⚈ In the past some people used cleaning remedies such as toothpaste or baking soda to clean metal jewellery. These cleaning methods will remove tiny amounts of metal every time you do it and result in depleting your precious jewellery and is therefore not recommended.
⚈ Also take care when using a polishing cloth, brush or anything else which is rubbed against the metal, particularly if your jewellery has a more delicate finish, such as gilding, vermeil, and plating or any patina or colouring.

Visit Your Jeweller:

See your jeweller at least once a year in order to have all your jewellery professionally cleaned and checked for general wear and tear.

CLEANING YOUR METAL JEWELLERY

Sterling Silver Jewellery

Tarnishing of silver is a normal process that is caused by oxidisation and moisture from air as well as sunlight. This is normal and is easily rectified with the following cleaning methods:

⚈ Silver jewellery with no gemstones or pearls can be washed in warm soapy water and dried with a soft lint-free cloth to slow down the oxidation process.
⚈ Use a silver polishing cloth or silver cleaning solution to remove discolouration and restore your piece to its former glory.
⚈ Do not use silver polishing cloths or cleaning solutions on silver plated jewellery or pre-oxidised jewellery i.e. jewellery that has pre-blackened areas as part of the design.
⚈ Silver dip can cause a problem for necklaces and bracelets. If the cleaning liquid is not rinsed away properly, it can build up in clasps and chains and may eventually destroy the piece.
⚈ Old sterling silver is best washed in warm soapy water as per washing instructions above.

Gold Jewellery

Keep your gold clean and looking as good as new with the following tips.

⚈ Polishing with a soft lint-free cloth will restore shine to your gold.
⚈ Washing in warm soapy water is also an easy way to clean your gold, ensuring to dry thoroughly with a soft lint-free cloth.
⚈ Alternatively, use an impregnated gold polishing cloth to restore the lustre of your gold.
⚈ Gold and diamond jewellery cleaner is probably the best home-solution to cleaning your gold jewellery. It is specially designed to remove dirt from the metal and any diamonds or stones set in the jewellery,

White Gold Jewellery

Gold Plated / Silver Plated Jewellery

⚈ Use a lint-free cloth to remove any surface dirt from the item and to polish the plated metal. Do not polish the item aggressively as it will only serve to wear away the plating.
⚈ Do not expose it to silver cleaning liquids or ultrasonic cleaning, as to do so may remove the plating.
⚈ The plated finish will wear away over time. This is considered normal wear and tear rather than a defect. The plating can be restored by one of our professional jewellers.

Platinum & Palladium

⚈Use a soft lint-free cloth to remove the dirt and restore the lustre to your ring.

CLEANING YOUR GEMSTONES

Diamonds

A clean diamond has a beautiful fire and a brilliant sparkle. Keep your diamond at its best with the following methods:
⚈ Wash your diamond jewellery in warm soapy water and use a soft toothbrush to gently clean it. Rinse it with clear water and dry it thoroughly with a soft lint-free cloth.
⚈ Alternatively, use a dedicated liquid cleaner to keep your diamond as beautiful as the day you bought it.

Soft Gemstones

All gemstones are individually unique with varying cleaning requirements so it’s best to check with your jeweller to find out which cleaning method they recommend. This is also good advice if you have antique jewellery.
⚈ Softer gemstones such as pearls or opals are porous rock which means a gentle wipe with a moist cloth is often enough to clean them.
⚈ Do not use cleaning solutions or ultrasonic cleaners on soft gemstones.

CLEANING ADDITIONAL TYPES OF JEWELLERY

Murano Beads

Murano beads require careful cleaning so as not to cause scratching or dulling of the colour of the glass.
⚈ Simply wash the beads with warm soapy water and gently brush with a soft toothbrush and pat dry with a soft lint-free cloth.
⚈ Do not use metal liquid cleaners on the beads.

Ceramic & Stainless Steel Jewellery

⚈ Clean your ceramic or stainless steel jewellery with a soft lint-free cloth.
⚈ Do not use jewellery cleaning solutions or liquids on these materials.

Leather

Leather based jellewery also require care when cleaning.
⚈ Simply using a damp cloth to wipe the leather clean is sufficient.
⚈ Regular use of leather creams and oils can help prevent staining.
⚈ It is advised that you do not immerse the leather in water or any other liquid as it is porous and will become damaged.
⚈ Never clean leather jewellery using metal-specific jewellery cleaner.

Professional Care & Repair of Jewellery

If you have any concerns about the condition of your jewellery, bring it to our store. Our professional jewellers will take great pride in helping you keep your jewellery looking as good as the day it was bought. We offer a polishing and buffing service along with a repairs service. Your jewellery will very rarely be beyond repair or restoration.

When checking your jewellery look out for the following signs of damage or wear and tear:

⚈ Stones loose in their setting or worn, damaged or missing claws surrounding gemstones
⚈ Loose catches and clasps or rough links on chains or bracelets
⚈ Fractures in metals
⚈ Pearls that are loose on their thread or thread that is frayed
⚈ Too much movement in jointed hinges
⚈ The plating wearing off-white gold or silver-plated jewellery
⚈ If a ring is too tight or too lose it can generally be re-sized to fit.

Brands

Designer

Religious

Women

Men

Occasions

Bespoke