How To Care For Your Jewellery: 7 Expert Tips
Caring for your precious jewellery ensures it will look its best for years to come.
Owning and loving a treasured piece of bespoke jewellery is one thing, but knowing how to care for your jewellery is another. Whether you’ve just received a dazzling engagement ring, gifted a custom bracelet, or invested in an heirloom necklace, taking the time to understand jewellery maintenance is vital for keeping your piece pristine.
There are a number of genuine benefits to buying custom jewellery, and many of us acquire beautiful pieces with little thought to how to clean jewellery at home or the best jewellery storage ideas. But with proper care, you can preserve the brilliance of your jewellery for generations to come.
At Simon Wright Jewellery, we’re the people to speak to when it comes to all things sparkly. We specialise in bespoke designs, and we’re passionate about helping you look after your jewellery the right way. Below, we share our top tips on jewellery maintenance, including diamond jewellery care tips, cleaning gold jewellery, and more.
How to Care for Your Jewellery at Home: 7 Daily Maintenance Tips
Before we get into the best way to clean jewellery, let’s cover the day-to-day habits that can protect it from unnecessary damage:
Remove Jewellery During Physical Activities
Whether you’re lifting weights, gardening, doing DIY, or moving house, it's easy to knock, scratch or damage rings and bracelets. Always remove your jewellery and place it somewhere safe before starting.
Keep Jewellery Away From Chemicals
Household cleaning products, perfumes, lotions, and even chlorine can severely damage metals and gemstones. Be sure to take off your jewellery before cleaning, swimming, or applying skincare.
Rinse Quickly After Chemical Exposure
If your jewellery does come into contact with any chemicals, rinse it immediately with clean water to reduce potential tarnishing or damage.
Apply Perfume and Creams Before Putting Jewellery On
This is especially crucial for organic gems like pearls and turquoise. Applying products beforehand prevents them from dulling your pieces over time
Take Off Jewellery Before Bed
Wearing jewellery at night can lead to tangling, bending, or scratching. Not to mention, claw settings may snag on fabrics or even cause injury.
Use Proper Storage to Prevent Damage
Wondering how to prevent jewellery from tarnishing? Proper storage is key. Keep each item in a soft-lined box or pouch, fasten chains to prevent tangling, and avoid storing pieces where they might rub together.
Be Mindful of The Environment
Ideally, you should store your jewellery in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and extreme temperature changes. To avoid tarnishing or discolouration, you should not store it in damp or humid environments, especially silver items.
How to Clean Jewellery at Home: Gemstones
Chances are, you chose your coloured stone engagement ring for its lustrous hue and its sparkle. And it makes sense that you want to keep it looking as lovely as the day you (or your partner) popped it onto your finger.
And that means that you need to know how to look after your jewellery! Follow the guidance below, and you should soon have your coloured stones looking as good as new.
For the majority of coloured stone jewellery, a simple solution of warm water with a couple of drops of washing-up liquid will be more than adequate.
Use a toothbrush and don’t be shy. You can be quite aggressive, and make sure you get the bristles in behind stones to clean their backs.
Cheap ultrasonic cleaners can be bought online, and these are great. The rule of thumb is don’t put any green gemstones or any gemstone you can’t see through into an ultrasonic cleaner. Use the trusty old toothbrush instead!
Drying with a t-shirt is fine. You can get lint-free cloths marketed specifically for jewellery cleaning, but a t-shirt does just as good a job.
Diamond Jewellery Care Tips
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, if you take Marilyn at her word. But are YOU your diamond engagement ring’s bestie too?! If you don’t know how to care for your jewellery, you won’t be!
Diamonds are tough - but that doesn’t mean they’re indestructible. Here’s how to clean diamond jewellery and keep it looking its best:
Diamonds can scratch and damage other gemstones, including other diamonds, so store diamond jewellery separately in individual pouches or cases.
As with your coloured gemstone jewellery, use warm water and a few drops of washing-up liquid, as this will help dissolve grease, which diamonds are prone to attract.
Again, a toothbrush is ideal for giving your diamond jewellery a thorough clean, after which you should dry it with a cloth. For deeper cleans, an ultrasonic cleaner can work wonders, but only use one if you're sure your jewellery can withstand it.
Looking for the best way to clean diamond jewellery without risk? When in doubt, consult a professional.
How to Clean Gold Jewellery at Home
Cleaning gold jewellery is straightforward, but gentle care goes a long way:
Soak in a mix of warm water and mild washing-up liquid for 15–20 minutes.
Use a toothbrush to dislodge dirt from crevices.
Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft cloth to restore shine.
Avoid abrasive materials that may scratch gold surfaces.
Polish jewellery at home using a non-abrasive polishing cloth designed specifically for gold or precious metals.
How to Clean a Platinum Ring
Platinum may be one of the most durable metals, but it still requires care:
Use the same warm water and soap method.
Avoid harsh chemicals or rough tools.
A professional polish every 6–12 months will help maintain its luxurious sheen.
How to Remove Tarnish from Jewellery
Tarnishing can affect silver, lower-karat gold, and even plated pieces. Here's how to prevent jewellery from tarnishing, and what to do if it already has:
For mild tarnish, use a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water to gently scrub the surface or use a tarnish cloth to buff any imperfections out.
Commercial silver dips (a commercially available acid free formula) can work, but should be used cautiously and never on gemstones.
Jewellery Maintenance Tips from Simon Wright
Knowing how to care for your jewellery by storing and cleaning it properly is essential to ensure it looks good and enjoys a long and beautiful life. Whether it’s a platinum sapphire engagement ring or a piece of custom gold jewellery, regular cleaning and safe storage will ensure your pieces remain stunning for years.
Still unsure how to care for your jewellery or which method is safe for your specific item? Don’t take risks with your treasured bespoke jewellery - get in touch with our team.
At Simon Wright, we’re more than happy to advise you on the correct way to look after and clean your jewellery at home, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch, and we’ll be delighted to help.
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