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Guide
A well made piece lasts for decades with reasonable care. This guide covers daily wear, cleaning by metal and stone, storage, and how often to have a piece professionally inspected.
Put jewelry on last, after lotion, perfume and hairspray, since several of these can dull a polished finish or, over time, affect a porous stone. Take rings off before activities that involve repeated impact or abrasion, and be mindful that even a hard stone can chip if struck at the wrong angle against a hard surface.
Gold and platinum with diamonds. Warm water with a small amount of mild dish soap and a soft brush is usually sufficient. Diamonds tolerate an ultrasonic cleaner well; the metal setting itself is generally fine as well, though a piece with other stones should follow the guidance for the more delicate stone present.
Colored gemstones. Treatment matters more than the stone’s raw hardness. Emerald and other stones commonly filled with oil or resin should be cleaned by hand only, never ultrasonically, since strong cleaning can draw the filler out. See our gemstone guide for treatment and care detail by stone.
Sterling silver. Tarnishes with air exposure over time; a dedicated silver polishing cloth restores shine without the abrasiveness of a liquid dip used too often.
Rhodium plated white gold. Clean gently with a soft cloth rather than an abrasive polish, which can wear the plating down faster. See our metal guide for more on rhodium plating and when to have it renewed.
Store pieces separately, in individual soft pouches or a lined box with dividers, so stones and metal surfaces do not scratch each other. Harder stones such as diamond and sapphire can scratch softer stones and even softer metals on contact, so keep them apart from more delicate pieces rather than piled together in one tray.
A prong is what holds a stone in its setting, and prongs wear thin gradually with normal contact over years of wear, particularly on a ring worn daily. A loose or worn prong is one of the most common reasons a stone is lost, and it is usually preventable with a periodic check. We recommend having any ring worn daily checked roughly once a year, and offer complimentary cleaning and inspection for the life of the piece as part of our service standards.
To arrange an inspection, or if a stone feels at all loose in its setting, contact client care rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit.