Cherishing Your Treasures

Here are some basic guidelines to consider when wearing your jewelry. These guidelines will help you preserve your investment.

• Remove Jewelry During Manual Tasks – When performing manual tasks such as housekeeping, gardening, auto repairs, and crafting please remove your jewelry to prevent damage to it .
• Put Jewelry On After Applying Makeup – Makeup, perfume, and lotion often contain chemicals that can damage jewelry. Please remember to put your jewelry on after applying these materials to help limit potential damage to your items.
• Don’t Wear Jewelry In Swimming Pools and Spas – Chlorinated water can react with the metals found in your jewelry which causes color changes and sometimes damage. Please remember to remove your jewelry before entering the pool or spa.
• Remove Jewelry Before Playing Contact Sports – Hard blows during sports can damage jewelry as well as possibly other people. Please remember to remove all jewelry before play begins.

Keeping jewelry clean and looking good requires regular effort for those of use who wear it regularly. Here are some general guidelines that may help.

• Remove Your Jewelry Before Bathing – Remove all jewelry before showering or bathing. Soap can leave a film that make jewelry appear dull and dingy.
• Use Jewelry Polishing Cloths – Polish silver and gold jewelry using a polishing cloth for best results. Using tissue or paper towels can cause scratches to appear on the metal.
• Use Warm Water to Clean Jewelry – Using a clean, soft cloth dampened with warm water is best for cleaning the stones in your jewelry. Be mindful, however, as water can sometimes cause discoloration in sterling silver. If this happens, buffing the silver and the applying a tarnish remover will remove the discoloration.
• Avoid Cleaning Damaged Jewelry – Avoid cleaning jewelry that is damaged, cracked, or broken since the additional handling can worsen the problem. If you have a piece of jewelry is damaged, it should sent for repair as soon as possible.
• Inspect Your Jewelry Regularly – When having your jewelry professionally cleaned, we recommend having your items inspected for any possible problems. Addressing signs of damage will prevent any further damage.

From time to time, it may be necessary have a repair performed on your jewelry.

• Prevent Damage to Your Jewelry – Regular inspection is the best way to minimize repairs. Performing simple inspections every two to three months will help to ensure that your jewelry is good condition.
• Look for Reviews and Referrals – When deciding on a jeweler to perform your jewelry repairs, look for reviews of their work and ask for referrals when appropriate.

If you have a collection of jewelry, you can probably can appreciate how difficult it can often be to keep it organized. Here are few suggestions to help you keep your jewelry organized and orderly.

• Keep Your Jewelry Secure – Store your jewelry in a container and prevent the pieces from moving around. Fabric-lined jewelry boxes are ideal.
• Prevent Your Jewelry from Tarnishing – Jewelry may sometimes tarnishes went it is not worn, especially silver and gold. To maintain the luster of your jewelry, place silver anti-tarnish strips in your storage container to absorb the oxidants that discolor and tarnish jewelry.
• Inventory Your Jewelry – Unfortunately, jewelry can get lost or stolen. Regularly taking inventory can be useful when making insurance claims or filing a police report. A photograph and a written physical description of each piece as well as its cost, is ideal.
• When Travelling with Jewelry, Use a Case – Use a travel case to protect your jewelry when travelling. Ideally, the case should be made of fabric or leather. It also should be able to be easily rolled-up and stored in a suitcase or make-up.