Jewellery Care Guide
Everyone has a favourite piece of jewellery. Whether it’s a special gift or a staple piece you love, we know you’ll want to keep it looking beautiful.
Here are our top tips on how to look after your jewellery and how to clean your jewellery.
Care Tips
How To Care For Jewellery
Follow these tips on how to care for your jewellery during wear and how to store your jewellery properly.
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During Wear
How To Care For Your Jewellery
Always remove your jewellery when applying beauty products like make-up, perfume and hairspray. Or, to make things easy, just put your jewellery on last when getting ready.
Don’t shower, soak or submerge your jewellery. Chlorine is especially damaging!
Remove your jewellery when sleeping, cooking or cleaning. Rinse off any chemicals that come into contact with your jewellery.
All these tips will help reduce corrosion, tarnishing and discolouration and damage to your special pieces.
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Storing
How To Store Your Jewellery
Store your jewellery pieces in separate boxes or in pieces of tissue paper so they don't scratch against each other.
Make sure any chains are fastened to prevent tangling.
Don’t leave your jewellery exposed to sunlight or in a damp environment.
Plated Jewellery
How To Look After Your Plated Jewellery
Plating is the process of covering a metal with a layer of another metal to make it a different colour. At Beaverbrooks, our plated jewellery is crafted in sterling silver and covered with a 9ct or 18ct gold plating for a beautiful finish.
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Plated Jewellery Care
Some fashion brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Michael Kors and Olivia Burton also use a plating in both their jewellery and watches. This plating can naturally wear away to reveal the metal underneath which is why it’s important to look after your plated jewellery, or watches, on a daily basis to prolong the appearance.
- Remove your jewellery or watch before showering, swimming or sleeping
- Keep your plated items away from hand sanitiser, perfumes and creams
- Store your jewellery or watches in a pouch or soft cloth separate from other jewellery
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Our Rhodium Plating Service
Naturally a champagne colour, white gold is finished with a rhodium plating to create a lustrous bright white finish. Hand sanitiser and beauty products can break down this plating at a faster pace and therefore it may need to be renewed in time. Bring your jewellery into your nearest store and we’ll be happy to help.
CLEANING ADVICE
How To Clean Jewellery
Natural skin oils and dust in the atmosphere dull the surface of precious metals so we’ve pulled together some top tips on how to clean your jewellery at home to keep it looking as good as new.
We also recommend you get your jewellery professional cleaned in-store with us once a year. That way we can check your jewellery, polish and clean it so it’s sparkling and in good condition.
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Gold
How To Clean Gold Jewellery
Follow our top tips on how to clean gold jewellery - which includes how to clean white gold and how to clean rose gold pieces, too.
If your gold jewellery has pearls or certain types of gemstones, be careful when cleaning as they require extra special care.
Gold Cleaning In 5 Easy Steps
1
Add a few drops of the mild washing-up liquid to one of the bowls of lukewarm water
Mix to get a soapy solution. Using lukewarm water means you’re not subjecting your jewellery to extreme changes in temperature, which could damage it.
2
Soak your jewellery in the bowl with washing-up liquid for ten minutes
This will loosen any dirt or grime, ready for you to gently remove.
3
Clean gently with the soft-bristled brush
Take your jewellery out of the bowl and scrub gently with the brush, paying attention to any hard-to-reach places where dirt may be hidden. A soft-bristled brush ensures you won’t scratch the surface of your jewellery.
4
Rinse well in the clean water
Soap can leave a residue on your gold jewellery, so make sure you rinse thoroughly to remove all the washing-up liquid.
5
Dry and polish with the lint-free cloth
Using a lint-free cloth ensures no fuzz or threads will be left behind. Enjoy your sparkling new jewellery!
For on-the-go cleaning, our cleaning products are easy to use and will ensure your jewellery is sparkling wherever you are.
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Silver
How To Clean Silver Jewellery
As silver jewellery is prone to tarnishing, cleaning it regularly will help retain its natural shine. The good news is that wearing your silver jewellery will also help slow the tarnishing - not that an excuse is necessary!
Why Does Silver Tarnish
& How To Avoid ItSterling silver is an alloy of silver, made up of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals such as copper. These metals react with chemicals in the air, creating a black surface coating which is known as tarnish. Fortunately, tarnish doesn’t harm the underlying metal, and can be removed fairly easily.
Although tarnishing can’t be prevented, you can help to slow this natural process by cleaning your silver jewellery regularly. You should also keep your silver jewellery away from chlorinated water, perfumes and cleaning products and protect it from damp conditions.
How To Clean Silver
To keep it looking as good as new, we recommend cleaning your silver jewellery with our specialised silver cleaning products. These products will not only help to remove dirt and tarnish, but will also help to protect your jewellery with their anti-tarnish formula.
Designed to restore your silver’s natural lustre, follow these steps to learn how to clean silver with our silver jewellery polishing cloths:
1
Rub your silver jewellery with the inner polishing cloth to remove dirt and tarnish. Pay particular attention to any detailed areas. The polishing cloth will also apply the anti-tarnish formula.
2
Polish your jewellery with the soft outer cloth to restore the shine.
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Platinum
How To Clean Platinum Jewellery
The rarest of all precious metals, your platinum jewellery will develop a beautiful silver-grey patina over time.
The easiest way to clean your platinum jewellery at home is to wash it in mild, soapy water, before drying it thoroughly and polishing with a soft, lint-free cloth
Platinum Cleaning In 5 Easy Steps
1
Immerse your platinum jewellery fully in the cleaner.
2
After a few minutes, use the strainer to remove your jewellery from the pot.
3
Using the special brush, gently scrub your platinum jewellery, paying particular attention to the setting, or places where dirt can become trapped.
4
Rinse your jewellery well in lukewarm water.
5
Dry and polish with a soft, lint-free cloth.
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Diamonds
How To Clean Diamond Jewellery
We all love the bright rainbow flashes as a diamond catches the light, but the key to keeping the sparkle you fell in love with is to keep your diamond clean.
During normal wear, your diamonds will come into contact with natural skin oils and dust in the air, which will eventually leave a film on their surface and dull their sparkle. Fortunately this is very easy to remove.
Our tips on how to clean diamond jewellery will ensure your diamonds look their sparkling and brilliant best every day.
Five Steps To Keep Your Diamond Clean
You will need: two bowls of lukewarm water, mild washing-up liquid, a soft-bristled toothbrush and a soft, lint-free cloth.
1
Add a few drops of mild washing-up liquid to one of the bowls of lukewarm water
Mix to get a soapy solution. Using lukewarm water means you’re not subjecting your diamond to extreme changes in temperature, which could damage it
2
Soak your diamond jewellery in the bowl with washing-up liquid for ten minutes
This will loosen any oils and dirt, making it easier for you to remove.
3
Clean gently with the soft-bristled brush
Take your jewellery out of the bowl and scrub the diamond and its setting gently with the brush, paying attention to any hard-to-reach places where dirt may be hidden. If your diamond is in a raised setting, it’s very important to clean all around it to maximise the sparkle.
This is also a good time to check that your diamonds are secure. Whilst cleaning the setting, check that all the claws are intact and that there is no damage to the mount.
4
Rinse well in the clean water
Soap can leave a residue on your diamond, so make sure you rinse thoroughly to remove all the washing-up liquid.
5
Dry and polish with the lint-free cloth
Using a lint-free cloth ensures no fuzz or threads will be left behind. Be very careful not to touch your diamond at this point as natural oils can be very easily transferred from your fingertips.
Our specialised diamond cleaning products will ensure that your diamonds dazzle every day of the week.
Perfect for restoring your diamond’s sparkle when time is short, the Diamond Dazzle Stick is perfect for cleaning on the go.
How to use the Diamond Dazzle Stik:
1
Wet the tip of the brush in clean water.
2
Twist the silver cap until the blue gel appears on the bristles.
3
Brush the gel onto your diamonds, taking care to brush all around the stone and into the setting.
4
Rinse your diamond thoroughly in lukewarm water.
5
Dry and polish your jewellery with a soft, lint-free cloth. Enjoy the sparkle!
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Gemstones
How To Clean Gemstone Jewellery
Cleaning your gemstones regularly will ensure that their natural colour and lustre is enhanced, as well as giving you an opportunity to check the settings for any signs of wear or damage.
Most gemstones can be cleaned in mild, soapy water, taking care not to bang or scratch the stone, and drying with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Due to their delicate nature, there are some gemstones which need some special care and attention. These include: opal, pearl, turquoise, coral, amber, emerald, tanzanite and peridot. When cleaning these gemstones, you should avoid using cleaning products and simply wipe them gently with a warm, damp cloth. Ultrasonic cleaners should always be used with caution, but should be avoided altogether with these particular gemstones.
Gemstone Cleaning Products
For gemstones such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires our range of cleaning products are easy to use and are designed to keep your jewellery as beautiful as possible.
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Pearl
How To Clean Pearl Jewellery
An organic gem, pearls are soft and easily damaged, and so should be treated with care. Cleaning products are best avoided and, due to their porous nature, they shouldn’t be submerged in water for long.
Pearl Cleaning Tips
Did you know that wearing your pearls will actually make them look better?
The natural oils from your skin will gradually coat your pearls, helping them to stay hydrated; accentuating and enhancing their natural lustre.1
Use a soft cloth slightly dampened with warm water to clean your pearls after wearing them.
2
Gently rub each pearl with the cloth to remove any dirt. You should avoid pulling the pearls through the cloth as this could cause the string to stretch.
3
Dry your pearls with a soft, lint-free cloth.
4
Always store your pearls flat, and wrap them in a soft cloth to prevent them being scratched.
Inspiration & Advice
More Jewellery Inspiration
Read more jewellery inspiration and advice here.
A Guide To Birthstone Jewellery
Discover the history, meaning and science of your own birthstone with our Guide To Birthstone Jewellery.
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Getting engaged guide
From romantic tips and tricks to finding the perfect ring, plus advice from our very own Proposal Rock Stars – we’ll be there every step of the way.
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Diamond Buying Guide
For us, nothing can match the excitement of finding your perfect diamond. Find out how in our Diamond Buying Guide.
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