6 Tips on Keeping Your Fine Jewelry Pieces Looking Like New

It can be tricky to care for jewelry, since caring for different kinds of precious metals and jewels can require vastly different techniques for maintaining their luster and glitter. Worse, using the wrong technique can damage your treasures! Today, we at Rogers Jewelry Co. are going to discuss a few tips for maintaining your jewelry.

Yellow & Rose Gold

Gold is gorgeous, but it’s a very soft metal. It can easily be scratched, dented, and pitted, which means that the only tools used to clean yellow and rose gold should be soft and pliant, such as baby toothbrushes. However, while rose gold can develop patina due to its copper content, yellow gold is unreactive and will only accumulate external grime—which can easily be cleaned off with very gentle soaps and warm water.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver may be harder than gold, but it is still a soft metal. Plus, silver will, unlike gold, tarnish. While it may be tempting to use a branded silver dips, the softness of silver means the metal will easily pit when dipped, and this will lead to further tarnishing. Stick to soft flannel cloths to wipe off sweat and oils that will lead to tarnishing, and store your silver in airtight containers.

Rhodium-Plated Silver & White Gold

The difficulty of rhodium on silver and white gold is that the plating is very, very thin. It will naturally wear off over time, but to ensure that this doesn’t happen faster than it must, an owner must not brush these pieces, put them in an ultrasonic cleaner, use silver dip, ammonia, or abrasives. It is best to only use lukewarm water and a polishing cloth to keep rhodium plating clean between professional cleanings.

Organic Gems

Organic gems include amber, bone, pearls, and opal. By nature, these gems are extremely soft and vulnerable to harsh substances. Vinegar, for example, will completely dissolve pearls! But unlike crystalline gems, organic gems require air and oils (such as skin oil) to stay moisturized and vibrant. Keep these gems away from makeup and hairspray, wipe them clean after wearing them, and keep them in fabric-lined pouches, away from sunlight and heat, when not wearing any organic gems.

Crystalline Gems

Crystalline gems include diamonds, such as the ones in diamond fashion rings; colored gems, like the ones from Jye International; and semiprecious stones, like amethyst and quartz. While crystalline gems are rocks, their durability and resistance to scratching comes with a downside: They can be broken if struck hard enough. Accidentally dropping them or hitting them against something can cause gems to split. Plus, crystalline gems have different qualities that are radically different. Heat-treated stones can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners. Softer gems can chip. Some gems will blanch or change colors when exposed to heat.

Professional Cleaning

The best answer to the above is to rely on a professional to clean and maintain your jewelry. Jewelers, who have the experience and training needed to distinguish proper cleaning methods, are your best bet for keeping your jewelry intact for years to come. Rogers Jewelry Co. can help—our in-house jewelry repair professionals are installed at each of our locations and in our main office. We’ve invested in cutting-edge equipment, and when our skilled craftsmen are utilizing it, we’re capable of repairing virtually any type of jewelry.

If you’re interested in keeping your jewelry clean and maintained, remember that Rogers Jewelry Co. is here to help. Contact us at 1-800-989-1842 or visit us at our showrooms in California or Reno, Nevada today!