Fine Jewellery Care Guide: Expert Tips to Keep Your Silver & Gold Shining

Caring for your fine jewellery - whether gleaming gold or lustrous silver - ensures it remains a cherished heirloom for years to come. With the right habits, cleaning rituals, and storage solutions, you can preserve sparkle, prevent damage, and enjoy your pieces forever.

Why Proper Care Matters

• Protect your investment: Fine jewellery often represents significant emotional and financial value. Routine care prevents premature wear, damage, and the disappointment of lost stones.
• Maintain brilliance: Even the highest-quality metals and gemstones lose their luster when exposed to everyday grime, oils, and chemicals.
• Extend lifespan: Simple preventive steps can add decades to your jewellery’s beauty and structural integrity.

Daily Habits to Keep in Mind

Last on, first off

• Put your rings, bracelets, and necklaces on only after dressing and applying makeup, perfume, or hair products. Chemicals in cosmetics can dull metals and accelerate tarnish.
• Remove all jewellery before showering, swimming (chlorine and saltwater are harsh on both silver and gold), and exercising.

Avoid harsh chemicals

• Household cleaners, bleach, and even hand sanitizers can corrode metal and loosen settings.
• Wear gloves when cleaning or gardening to protect your pieces.

Handle with care

• When trying on or adjusting rings, handle by the band—not the stone or setting—to reduce stress on prongs and bezels.

Cleaning Silver Jewellery

• Soft polishing cloth: Use our jewellery cleaning cloth to wipe away tarnish and restore shine.
• Baking-soda paste: Mix three parts baking soda with one part water into a paste. Gently rub onto silver with a soft cloth, rinse thoroughly, and dry immediately.
• Avoid abrasive cleaners: Never use toothpaste or scouring pads - these can scratch silver’s surface.

Cleaning Gold Jewellery

• Warm, soapy water: Soak pieces in a bowl of lukewarm water with a drop of mild dish soap for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Soft brush: Use a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush to dislodge grime from settings and crevices.
• Rinse & dry: Rinse under lukewarm water, pat dry with a lint-free cloth, and allow pieces to air-dry fully before wearing or storing.

Smart Storage Solutions

• Individual pouches or compartments: Store each piece separately in our anti-tarnish velvet pouches or lined jewellery boxes to prevent scratches and tangles.
• Keep away from humidity: Store silver in a cool, dry place. Consider adding silica-gel packets to absorb moisture.
• Lay flat or hang necklaces: To avoid kinks and stress on delicate chains, hang necklaces on a jewellery rack rather than jumbling them together.

Professional Care & Maintenance

• Annual inspections: Have a trusted jeweller check prongs, clasps, and settings once a year to catch loose stones or wear before they become serious issues.
• Polishing & replating: Over time, white gold may require rhodium replating to restore its bright white finish. Silver pieces can be professionally polished to remove deep tarnish.
• Stone tightening: If you notice any wobble in a gemstone, schedule a tightening service promptly to prevent loss.A Note on Gold Plating

Note on Plating

Plated on silver: Gold plating on sterling silver jewellery will gradually fade with wear, especially on high-contact areas like rings and bracelets. This is a normal process and not a fault in the piece. Replating services can restore its appearance.

Plated on gold: Even when gold is plated over solid gold (often for a deeper or different tone), the top layer can still fade with time. While this type of plating wears more subtly, it will still benefit from gentle handling and care.

 

By adopting these simple yet effective care routines, your silver and gold pieces will retain their brilliance—and the memories they carry—well into the future. Treat each item with the attention it deserves, and your fine jewellery will continue to shine as brightly as the day you first wore it.