Rules for caring for jewelry ⋆ Jewelrygram

In the article:

Apply lotion, cosmetics, hairspray and perfume BEFORE putting on jewelry;
After removing jewelry, wipe each piece with a clean, soft cloth to remove oils and sweat;
Store jewelry in a fabric-lined box, separately or individually wrapped, to avoid scratches;
Keep jewelry away from sunlight and sources of high temperature;
Never wear jewelry while doing physical work, such as cleaning, gardening, or exercising;
Avoid contact of jewelry with any cleaning/detergents, iodine and cosmetics. Contact with them can lead to a change in the color of the metal, the appearance of dark or light spots;
Never swim wearing jewelry in chlorinated pools or hot tubs;
For cleaning at home, use only the simplest means: warm water, ethyl alcohol solution, soda solution;
Once a year, carry out a jewelry “technical inspection” at a jewelry workshop, where they will check the setting of the stones and carry out professional cleaning of the jewelry.

Earrings made of gold with amethysts and rauchtopazes. SOKOLOV

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Gold ring with amethyst and rauchtopaz. SOKOLOV

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Platinum

There are scratches on the platinum - contact your jeweler to request polishing. Platinum can be polished repeatedly; such manipulations do not thin out this metal, due to its very dense structure;
Has the platinum darkened or acquired a dull greenish tint? This means that microcracks have formed on it. Polishing in a workshop will correct the situation;
Platinum does not like abrasives and rough brushes. For cleaning jewelry, either a regular soap solution or the same solution with ammonia is suitable;
Chlorinated water is not suitable for cleaning and rinsing; it can tarnish the platinum. It is enough to keep smooth products for 10-15 minutes in warm, not hard water with diluted toilet soap. Corrugated, openwork - in soapy water with 5-6 drops of ammonia. This method is also used when it is necessary to restore the shine of jewelry.
After cleaning, platinum accessories must be washed in running water and wiped dry with a flannel or suede napkin;

Cleaner for gold and platinum Hagerty Gold Clean 170 ml SHOP

Gold

gold with a soft cloth (microfiber, flannel or suede) every time you remove jewelry;
You can clean the jewelry from minor stains in a soap solution with ammonia (1 glass of water and 5-10 drops of alcohol);
After cleaning in soapy water, rinse in clean water and dry;
A professional jeweler and his special tools will help you polish it to a mirror shine.

Napkin for gold Hagerty Gold Cloth 30x36 cm IN THE STORE

Is it necessary to take care of rhodium-plated products in any way?

More and more manufacturers are using rhodium plating technology in the manufacture of jewelry. White gold or silver jewelry is coated with a thin layer of the precious metal rhodium. It not only gives the product a beautiful cool shine, but also increases wear resistance and prevents silver jewelry from turning black.

“If you have rhodium-plated products, remember that caring for them should be as gentle as possible”

Since the thickness of the rhodium layer is usually only a few microns, brushes, powders and other abrasive substances should not be used for cleaning. This will only damage the coating.

Caring for rhodium-plated products is simple: you need to wash them in a warm soapy solution and wipe with a soft flannel or suede cloth.

But rhodium plating doesn't last forever. If you wear the products carefully and care for them properly, they will last a long time. But over time, rhodium will still wear off. This is a natural process.

If rhodium-plated jewelry has darkened in places and lost its shine, this can be fixed. Good jewelry workshops offer a re-rhodium plating service. Your jewelry will be polished and re-plated with rhodium.

Silver

Silver is afraid of both water and air - it oxidizes and darkens. It is recommended to wipe it with microfiber or flannel;
Dark deposits can be removed by washing the product in warm soapy water and cleaning with a cloth soaked in ammonia;
After cleaning, the jewelry should be rinsed in clean water and dried. (this method is not suitable for blackened silver);
When cleaning sterling silver, remember that it is a very soft metal and can easily be damaged by a fingernail or even a piece of cotton wool pressed roughly onto the metal surface;
Do not dry your silver with paper towels or napkins, always use a soft cloth;
When you are not wearing silver jewelry, store it in a cool, dry place. A zippered bag and separate fabric pouches are ideal for this and will help prevent other items from tarnishing and scratching;

Napkin for silver, 30x36 cm Hagerty TO THE STORE
Turning to history, in the 1880 July issue of The Queen magazine, it was proposed to use ammonia, lemon juice and the tropical plant arrowroot to clean silver jewelry. Alternatively, boiling in soapy water was allowed, followed by cleaning and drying on a heated, unpolished earthenware vessel (this step was necessary to evaporate the moisture so that the silver did not darken or turn green). As you can see, little has changed here in a century and a half.

Natural stones

Earrings made of gold with emeralds/ SOKOLOV

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Earrings made of gold with diamonds and hydrothermal emerald. SOKOLOV

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Be very careful when using any soaking method to clean jewelry with soft stones such as amber, lapis lazuli, or turquoise . Prolonged soaking in any solution will cause the stone to fade and change color. Moreover, some inserts are glued to the metal surface, and prolonged soaking will lead to the stone coming off and falling out at the most inopportune moment;
Under no circumstances should you boil products with stones in a solution with reagents - such a procedure will lead to the fact that the insert will forever lose not only its original color, but also its weight. Moreover, some reagents are capable of completely dissolving the inlaid stone through a chemical reaction.
If your jewelry contains gemstones or pearls , do not immerse it in water or use cleaners or abrasives to clean it. Acid and alkali will quickly remove even the heaviest plaque, but can significantly harm the product;
Do not use chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone or ammonia. Petroleum-based chemicals can even “melt” amber if left on the surface of the stone. In addition to chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone and ammonia can be harmful.
Do not use ultrasonic cleaner, ammonia or chemical solutions on porous and opaque stones such as turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis lazuli and opal to avoid discoloration of the stone. These stones need to be gently wiped with a damp cloth until they are clean;
You cannot clean jewelry with emeralds, watermelon tourmalines , and diamonds enhanced with optical gel in an ultrasonic bath. Emerald and watermelon tourmaline have microcracks in their internal structure and can crumble into dust under the influence of ultrasound. As for gel-enhanced diamonds , under the influence of ultrasound, the gel may leak out and the stone will lose its presentation;
Salt and soda are not used for cleaning jewelry, as they leave scratches on the surface of minerals, in which dust, grease and dirt accumulate over time, which leads to tarnishing of the stone. Re-grinding will be required to restore the original shine;
Precious/semi-precious stones and crystals love a thick, soft cloth and a wipe down until they shine. Once every six months (not more often) you can clean off grease and soap deposits in warm water with a little soap or shampoo and using a soft brush, finally rinsing in clean water and wiping dry with a soft cloth;
Protect jewelry from strong impacts. Although precious stones are stronger than most metals, the internal stresses that are always present in natural stones mean that even a weak blow to the wrong place will lead to the stone splitting.
Amethysts, ametrines, kunzites, topazes and turquoise tend to fade when exposed to ultraviolet rays. Store them in a dark place and do not wear them to the beach.

Storage rules

The appearance of gold items can be damaged not only during operation, but also if stored improperly. To prevent this from happening, follow these rules:

Store jewelry away from direct sunlight.
Never store gold jewelry in cardboard boxes. The sulfur contained in cardboard can react with gold, causing the gold to darken.
Place jewelry so that they do not touch each other, otherwise scratches and abrasions may appear on the surface.
Place a soft backing underneath your jewelry. For example, a piece of velvet would be perfect.
Do not store jewelry near radiators, or in rooms where there are sudden changes in temperature and humidity levels.

Compliance with these recommendations and rules will allow you to maintain your jewelry in its original form. As a result, they will delight not only you, but also future generations.

Pearls and mother of pearl

Earrings made of gold with a mix of stones. SOKOLOV

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Gold necklace with a mix of stones. SOKOLOV

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Pearls , despite the details of their appearance, do not like water: they become cloudy and lose their shine ;
At home, wash the pearls in a mild soap solution (from baby soap), rinse thoroughly in clean water and let dry;
Use special microfiber jewelry mesh or a piece of suede and clean water, preferably artesian water, since tap water may contain chlorine;
Never clean with chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone, ammonia or petroleum-based chemicals - this stone is organic and will only be damaged by any chemicals used. For example, it is quite possible to dissolve pearls in ordinary table vinegar;
Caring for pearls and mother-of-pearl also involves personal hygiene: sweaty skin releases acids, and when it comes into contact with them, mother-of-pearl turns yellow and loses its shine.
Pearls also deteriorate when exposed to deodorants, perfumes and other perfumes. Its mother-of-pearl layer is destroyed;
Do not expose your treasures to direct sunlight: ultraviolet radiation destroys mother-of-pearl;
Keep jewelry away from heat sources. Mother-of-pearl cannot tolerate dry, moisture-free air; in such an atmosphere it will soon become covered with microcracks;
Sometimes mother-of-pearl jewelry deteriorates for no apparent reason. The metal of the frame may have been selected incorrectly. Mother of pearl is “allergic” to nickel and copper;
Pearls and mother-of-pearl should not be cleaned with ultrasound;
Pearls should not be stored together with other jewelry, as this may damage its surface.

Important: if pearls are not worn for a long time, they darken. Don't forget to publish it.

Synthetic stones

Synthetic minerals created in laboratories are more stable and much more difficult to harm than natural ones. These minerals can be cleaned using improvised means, hydrogen peroxide and other substances. They are generally purified like gold.

“Panther” earrings made of gold with agates and cubic zirconia. SOKOLOV

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Ring “Black Panther” made of gold with agates and cubic zirconia. SOKOLOV

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cubic zirconia

Despite the fact that cubic zirconia is an artificial stone, it is very capricious. It is sensitive to dirt, dust, grease and chemicals. The stone absorbs these substances and loses its attractiveness.

Direct sunlight also has a negative impact on the appearance of cubic zirconia. If exposed to the sun for a long time, the stone may acquire a yellow-green tint and become cloudy.

In order for cubic zirconia to retain its attractiveness for a long time, it must be removed at home while performing household tasks, and also prevent perfumes and cosmetics from coming into contact with its surface. It is recommended to store cubic zirconia separately from other jewelry with stones, using a soft upholstered box.

To restore the lost shine and shade to cubic zirconia at home, you can use several methods:

Leave the stone for 10-11 hours in ammonia diluted with water 1:6, then rinse with clean water and dry.
Clean the stone with toothpaste and a soft brush. If the crystal is very dirty, you should leave it in the paste for 10-15 minutes.
If the stains are not too ingrained, you can try washing them off with soapy water.

If the described methods do not help, then it is recommended to take the cubic zirconia to a jewelry workshop for professional cleaning.

How to wear jewelry without ruining it?

Any piece of jewelry, be it gold or silver, will not say thank you if you treat it without due respect and wear it without taking it off.

It is clear that we become attached to things dear to our hearts. And I don’t want to constantly think about when to take off or put on jewelry. And yet it is important. It's a shame when a ring that was recently perfectly round suddenly becomes flattened. All I had to do was remove it before working with a hammer in the country.

Before hard physical work, it is better not to be lazy and remove expensive jewelry to avoid problems. If the product is nevertheless deformed or damaged, take it into the hands of professionals. Craftsmen will return the jewelry to its original appearance.