A GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAINTENANCE
Whether they be worn every day or occasionally, jewels are precious items which require to be nurtured. Repeated contact with customarily-used detergents or with insecticides, for instance, can tarnish pearls along with multiple other gems. It is advisable to choose jewels depending on what kind of activities one intends to undertake on a given day: one should avoid wearing them altogether when headed to the beach, to a swimming pool or while doing sports, so as to prevent bumps or scratches. The same caution should be used while performing housework or any other kind of manual task. Furthermore, one should pay attention not to place their jewelry too close to a source of intense heat, and also prevent it from being exposed to dramatic temperature swings. Prior to being worn, a jewel needs to be observed thoroughly, by checking that neither its clasp nor its safety lock, if present, display any ostensible issues. If, by rubbing the jewel with a thin cloth, it gets tangled, its jaws are likely to have moved. Gem settings can be impaired by bumps, which are among the most common causes of their increased fragility. We aren’t always aware of what we make our jewelry go through, especially when it comes to rings, as they easily collide with objects such as keys, purse content, kitchen tools, etc… Jewels are designed masterfully in full compliance with standards of excellence, but in spite of that, our lifestyle still puts them in constant jeopardy. Every third year, pearl necklaces must undergo a check-up of their threading. Jewels are easily subject to scratches when cluttered against each other. Thus it is preferable that they be stored separately in the case they were endowed with when they were first purchased. We strongly advise you to refrain from storing all your jewels together with no protection whatsoever.
CLEANING ROUTINES
Once a year, jewels ought to be cleansed. If jewels comprise corals, pearls, lapislazzuli, turquoises, emeralds or a gem pavé, their cleaning routine must be delegated to expert professionals. If they do not comprise the above-mentioned gems, it is sufficient to soak them into a tank of warm water in which some neutral-Ph soap was previously diluted. In the meantime, they need to be gently rubbed with the help of a soft-bristled brush. Subsequently, they need to be carefully rinsed in warm water and eventually dried with a soft cloth.
PEARL PROTECTION AND CARE:
If pearls are to be worn frequently, their threading must be subject to an annual check-up. One should avoid spraying perfume on them. Homemade pearl cleaning routines should consist of rubbing their surface with a wet cloth, with no detergent or soap. Pearls must be stored separately in an individual case. Intense light, heat or contact with soap and detergent can tarnish pearls.
GEM PROTECTION AND CARE:
Gems need to be shielded from the risk of potential collision. Even diamonds, the hardest gems in nature, can be shattered or scathed when repeatedly hit. This is why jaws and gem settings must undergo regular checkups. Jewels need to be polished whenever their gem components lose their brightness.
RESTORING SCRATCHED OR OPAQUE JEWELS.
As far as the vast majority of jewels is concerned, polishing procedures should be sufficient to eliminate or reduce scratches on golden surfaces. Since this procedure consists of one thin layer of metal being peeled off the jewel, we recommend you not to carry it out more than twice in the life span of a jewel made of white gold, and more than three times for jewels made of yellow gold. Shallow scratches can also be successfully erased by resorting to a lighter polishing procedure. Our technicians are always available to perform a diagnosis on your jewel and direct you to the service which best matches your expectations.