How to Take Care of Your Jewellery

For most pieces of jewellery, clean gently with a soft toothbrush and mild soap, remove jewellery before sleeping, swimming or exercising, and store pieces separately to avoid scratching.

These simple steps will help keep your jewellery looking fantastic for as long as possible, however, some jewellery materials need special attention. Read on for some more tips and material-specific advice.

Everyday Jewellery Care

Looked after properly, jewellery can last for generations. Some care is best left to a professional jeweller, but there's a lot you can do at home to keep pieces in good condition.

Here are some of the questions we get asked most about jewellery care and some advice to get you started:

How do I clean my jewellery?

Most pieces of jewellery that are made of silver, gold and platinum and set with stones like diamonds and sapphires can be cleaned with a soft toothbrush, warm water and a small amount of washing up liquid.

Gently brush around settings where dirt collects (don't forget to clean around the underside of the stone if you can access it), then rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

Some gemstones are sensitive to sudden temperature changes, so avoid using water that is too hot. (If you buy one of our pieces, we will let you know if you need to take particular care when cleaning it.)  

When should I take my jewellery off?

- Before bed: This is especially important for fine chains which are easily stretched.

- During activity that could scratch or knock your jewellery. Precious metals are relatively soft and gemstones can chip or break, even diamonds.

- Before swimming or using a hot tub: Chemicals such as chlorine attack the metals gold is commonly alloyed with and can also damage pearls and porus stones.

- Before applying perfume, lotion or hairspray: Let products dry fully before putting jewellery back on, particularly with opals and pearls, which are especially vulnerable to chemical damage.

How should I store my jewellery?

- Store pieces separately so they can't scratch one another. Diamonds are hard enough to scratch any other gemstone, including other diamonds - so keep each diamond piece in its own compartment or pouch.

- Choose a stable, dry, dark place. Heat and humidity accelerate tarnishing and can damage organic materials like pearls. Direct light can even cause some coloured stones to fade (amethyst and kunzite are particularly prone to fading).

- A lined jewellery box or individual soft pouches work well. If you're storing pieces long-term, a small silica gel/desiccant packet can help control humidity.

Caring for Gold Jewellery

Gold itself doesn't tarnish, but most gold used in jewellery is alloyed with other metals for strength and sometimes colour. Those alloys can react with chemicals and lose their shine over time.

- Cleaning: Warm water, a drop of mild washing-up liquid and a soft toothbrush is usually all you need. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Check any gemstones in the piece can be cleaned this way too before you start.

- Avoid chlorine and chlorinated water: Pools and hot tubs can pit gold alloys and, over time, weaken solder joints. Take gold jewellery off before swimming.

- Be careful with gold-plated and vermeil pieces: The plating is a thin layer over another metal and can wear away with friction, chemicals or repeated cleaning. Wipe with a soft cloth rather than using cleaning dips and avoid contact with perfumes and lotions.

- Storage: Keep away from other jewellery to avoid scratches and damage to any stones in the piece. Gold is a relatively soft metal, particularly higher carat gold, and is prone to scratching.

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Looking After Silver Jewellery

To keep it looking at its best, silver tends to need a bit more looking after than gold or platinum. It will tarnish when exposed to certain chemicals, perspiration, cosmetics and humid conditions.

Here are some tips for keeping your sterling silver jewellery looking its best:

- Remove your sterling silver jewellery when swimming, using hot tubs or saunas, exercising or using household cleaning products.

• Try to keep your silver jewellery from coming into contact with cosmetics, particularly perfumes, which speeds up tarnishing.

• Use a silver cloth periodically to help keep the piece shiny and slow tarnish build-up.

• Store your silver in a box when not wearing it and consider placing a small packet of desiccant crystals inside the box if the humidity levels are high.

My silver jewellery is already tarnished or dirty - what do I do?

• For tarnish, use a silver dip cleaning product. Follow the instructions carefully and remember to rinse the cleaner off thoroughly before drying the piece completely. Please note that silver dips can damage some gemstones (such as pearls, opals and turquoise), so check before you use it.

• For everyday dirt, a soft toothbrush, mild detergent and lukewarm water will usually do the job. Dry thoroughly afterwards.

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Caring for Platinum Jewellery

Platinum is one of the most durable metals used in jewellery and it doesn't tarnish. It does develop a soft matte finish with wear - some people love this and other prefer to have it polished back to a high shine.

- Cleaning: the same warm water, mild soap and soft toothbrush method as above works well. Again remember to check this is suitable for any gemstones first.

- Durability: Platinum doesn't wear as heavily as gold does, which is why platinum settings are often recommended for stones you want to hold securely for decades.

- Polishing: If you prefer a bright, mirror finish, a jeweller can re-polish platinum periodically.

Caring for Gemstones

Not all gemstones can be treated the same way. As a general rule, the harder and less porous a stone, the more robust it is when it comes to cleaning and everyday wear - but this isn't the whole story.

Diamonds

Diamonds might be the hardest natural material but that doesn't mean they're indestructible - a hard knock at the wrong angle can still chip one. Clean with warm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush. Diamonds love grease which will quickly make them look dull, so make sure you clean them thoroughly. Try and get to all the parts of the stone you can reach with the brush, including the bottom of the stone if you can. You might be surprised how much of a difference this makes.

Ultrasonic cleaners are generally safe for diamonds without fractures or treatments, but check with your jeweller first.

Pearls

Pearls are organic and soft. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, chemicals, perfumes and even excessive moisture. Wipe with a soft, clean cloth after wearing and store flat, away from harder gemstones that could scratch them. Put perfume and hairspray on before your pearls, never after.

Opals

Opals contain water and can crack if they dry out or face sudden temperature changes. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, prolonged heat and chemicals. Clean with warm water, wipe with a soft cloth and store separately to other jewellery.

Emeralds and heavily included or fracture filled gemstones

These gemstones should avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners, and hot water. Gently clean with a soft cloth and lukewarm water only.

Softer coloured stones

Gemstones such as turquoise, amber, coral and lapis are porous and relatively soft. They can be damaged by chemicals, heat or abrasive cleaning. Treat these stones similarly to pearls and opals - use a soft cloth, no chemicals, no ultrasonic cleaning.

When in doubt, ask us

If you're not sure how to clean a particular stone safely, get in touch before reaching for a cleaning product - some damage isn't reversible.

Get your jewellery checked by a jeweller

It’s a good idea to take your jewellery to a professional jeweller regularly so they can check for any issues and give it a good clean and polish at the same time.

This is a service we offer, so get in touch using the form at the bottom of this page if you have some pieces you’d like checked and cleaned. (Please don’t send us a piece without letting us know first.)

Our jewellery care service includes:

Initial assessment

• Checking for any damage to the piece including gemstones.

• Checking for worn or damaged settings and missing claws that put you at risk of losing a gemstone.

• Checking that gemstones aren’t loose in their settings.

• Checking that catches, clasps and hinges are still working properly.  

• Checking the condition of the plating on white gold. 

Once assessed, we'll advise on how best to proceed, with a quote for any work.

Cleaning, restoration or repair work

• Complete any necessary repairs.

• Clean the piece in a manner suited to the materials. 

• If appropriate, polish the piece. 

• If appropriate, re-plate the piece.

We can usually restore a piece to be as bright and shiny as the day you bought it. Some people prefer to leave a bit of the wear visible for sentimental reasons which we will of course accommodate (as long as there are no structural risks). Please let us know if this is the case. 

If it’s one of our pieces we offer this service for free (excluding postage if you’re sending it to us).

Insuring your Jewellery

We do recommend that you insure your jewellery.

You may have a home contents insurance policy that covers items of jewellery up to a certain amount. Check your policy and see if any of your pieces need an official valuation document to ensure that they are covered.

For high-value pieces, a specialist jewellery insurance polish may offer better protection than a general contents add-on.

Enquire about our Jewellery Care Service

Jewellery Care FAQs

Can I wear my jewellery in the shower?

It's best to take it off. Soap and shampoo residue dulls metal and stones over time, and hot water/steam can affect certain gemstones (opals and emeralds especially).

Is it safe to clean jewellery with toothpaste or baking soda?

Avoid both - they're mildly abrasive and can scratch softer metals and gemstones, even if the effect isn't visible immediately. Stick to mild soap and warm water.

Why has my white gold jewellery turned yellow?

White gold is typically plated with rhodium to give it its bright white colour. This plating wears down with time and everyday wear, revealing the yellowish white gold underneath. This is normal - a jeweller can re-plate it to restore the white finish.

Can I use an ultrasonic cleaner at home?

Only for hard stones that you're sure are untreated and not heavily included - like some diamonds - and even then, with caution. Avoid ultrasonic cleaning for pearls, opals, emeralds and any stone that's been fracture-filled or heavily treated.

How do I know if my jewellery needs professional attention?

If a stone feels loose, a clasp doesn't close securely, or the metal shows deep scratches, it's time for a professional check.

Or, if you're just not sure, pop in to see a jeweller and they can give you professional advice.

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