Jewelry Care
Much of what is true for gemstone care and cleaning also applies to jewelry. For detailed information see our gemstone care & cleaning page.
The following are a few "Must-knows":
1. Never wear your jewelry while swimming. Not only could you loose it, but chlorine and salt can damage both precious metals and gemstones.
2. Avoid wearing your jewelry while cooking, cleaning, doing dishes or showering. All of these activities can mar, scratch and damage all jewelry.
3. Never wear your pearls in water. Not only can the chemicals in water damage the pearl, but the silk used to string your pearls will stretch and weaken. Pearls should always be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. After wearing pearls, be sure to wipe them with a soft, clean, dry cloth before putting them away.
4. Stay away from chemicals. You never know what could damage your precious metals and gemstones.
5. Be careful with your opals. Avoid taking them from extreme heat to extreme cold (taking something from the freezer and putting it in the oven). Opals are best cleaned with a soft, clean, dry cloth. Beware of Ethiopian/Welo opals. Much of this material is hydrophane - absorbs liquid - once it is absorbed there is no guarantee your opal will ever look the same.