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Jewelry Care
Click on a jewelry type below for more specific care tips:
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Fine jewelry is a precious possession that is designed and crafted to last a lifetime. Proper care is required to assure the lasting qualities of your jewelry. Jewelers of America (JA) is pleased to offer the following simple guidelines and tips for the care and cleaning of your fine jewelry.
- Store your jewelry in a clean, dry place.
- Keep your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewelry case, or in a box with compartments and dividers. If you prefer to use ordinary boxes, wrap each piece individually in soft tissue paper.
- Don't jumble your jewelry pieces in a drawer or jewelry case. Pieces can scratch each other.
- Be careful when removing your jewelry to wash your hands. Do not leave your jewelry on the rim of a sink where it can easily slip down the drain.
- See your jeweler at least once a year to have your jewelry checked for loose prongs, worn mountings, and general wear and tear. Visit your jeweler every six months to have your jewelry professionally cleaned.
- There are many types of small machines on the market that will clean jewelry in a matter of minutes using high-frequency sound. These machines are called "ultrasonic cleaners" and are available in many different models and prices. They can be a convenient way to quickly clean your jewelry at home. However, ultrasonic cleaners can damage some jewelry. Your local jeweler can tell you if an ultrasonic cleaning machine is right for your jewelry and, if it is, can recommend an appropriate model.
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Protecting Your Jewelry
- Protect any jewelry from scratches, sharp blows, harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures and sunlight.
- Remove rings when doing household tasks such as gardening and cleaning.
- Put your jewelry on after washing and applying any makeup/hair spray.
- Never wear jewelry while swimming in a swimming pool. The chlorine can cause damage to various gemstones and gold. The gemstones may become loose in their settings and possibly fall out.
Storing Your Jewelry
- Store jewelry separately so it doesn't scratch other jewelry.
- Avoid storing your jewelry next to a heating vent, window sill or on a car dashboard.
- Store jewelry away from sunlight as the sun may fade the gemstones.
- Do NOT store pearls in plastic bags!
- Always carefully store any fine jewelry.
Hardness of Gems
- Hardness is based on a gem-trade standard called the Mohs Scale.
- The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone is. The highest Mohs scale rating is 10 diamonds.
- Anything with a Mohs scale rating of less than 7 is easily scratched such as coral, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, and turquoise.
- Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2-1/2 to 4.
Care & Repair
To make sure that your fine jewelry and watches are properly cared for, take them to a professional jeweler, someone you can trust. Choose a retailer who has been serving the community for a number of years and has an established reputation.
Ask if the jeweler is a member of Jewelers of America, the national association for retail jewelers. Or look for the "J" mark on the door. JA jewelers are knowledgeable and they offer a wide range of services to care for your fine jewelry. Your JA jeweler will not only help you properly maintain your jewelry but will also answer your care and cleaning questions and help you with your purchases, repairs and custom design.
- Be certain that stones mounted in rings are not loose or rattle.
- Prongs are easily "retipped" by most jewelers to keep the stone secure. Prongs of a ring can and do wear down. If the prongs wear down too much or break, you will lose the stone.
- Most jewelers will restring necklaces or reset stones. If you have bead necklaces such as lapis or pearls, store them flat as silk stretches over time.
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