How to care for your jewellery 

Posted by Jo Beckett on

An important part of living sustainably is caring for the things we already have, so that they last for a lifetime and more. With that in mind, I’ve put together my top tips for looking after your jewellery, whether that’s my designs or other pieces in your jewellery box. 

Forgive me but I’m going to be strict and matronly about this. You can of course take my advise with a pinch of salt - these are just a few guidelines keep your precious treasures gleaming for years to come.

Crazy things that people do (that they should not!)

Jo Hayes Ward | Jewellery Designer London| How to care for your jewellery
Do not smother hand cream all over your jewels! It’s the quickest way to make them grimey and dull their finish. Take your jewellery off before applying cream please folks.
Do not, I repeat do NOT do gardening wearing your rings. Nor wear rings at the gym. Basically any activity where you are gripping metal objects over a sustained period. It’s the repetitive movement against metals of different hardnesses that will damage rings over time.
It goes without saying, but please please please don’t expose your jewellery to household chemicals like perfume or hairspray, as they can cause precious stones and metals, particularly silver, to tarnish and discolour.


Cleaning

Jo Hayes Ward | Jewellery Designer London| How to care for your jewellery

All jewellery needs cleaning from time to time.
Don’t be afraid to clean your jewellery yourself using hot water with a mild detergent and a soft brush, I opt for washing up liquid and a toothbrush. There are some more delicate gems (emeralds and opals for example) which, though fine to clean in this way, should not be left to soak in the warm soapy water. Just gently cleaned and dried immediately.

Jo Hayes Ward | Jewellery Designer London| How to care for your jewellery

Jewellery will also benefit from an occasional professional clean. We can provide this service for our customers, talk to us if you’d like to arrange it.

Storing

Jo Hayes Ward | Jewellery Designer London| How to care for your jewellery
Don’t chuck all your jewellery together or stuff it into one small box! Ideally jewellery should be stored individually in padded boxes or even just individually in tissue paper. Necklaces and bracelets should be laid out flat without kinks where possible.  A good jewellery box will have different compartments, slots and systems to safely store your treasures so nothing gets tangled or bashed.
Jo Hayes Ward | Jewellery Designer London| How to care for your jewellery
Handling

If you wear rings on adjacent fingers they will wear each other down over time, regardless of their metal type. You have been warned!
We recommend 18ct gold rings being worn only next to other rings of 18ct gold. This is because different metals have different hardnesses, a harder metal such as platinum will wear down 18ct gold over time.

Follow the rules

Listen to the care instructions for each individual piece of your jewellery. Some jewellery is suitable for everyday wear - stacking rings or shield rings for example, and some are more occasional pieces. This could be due to the stones being delicate, or a particular design being particularly intricate.

Jo Hayes Ward | Jewellery Designer London| How to care for your jewellery
I hope this is useful information. If you have questions not covered here please do get in touch and I’ll be happy to help.

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