Gemstones Cleaning & Care

Maintaining your gem's colourful sparkle

Retaining the finish and value of your gemstone jewellery is quite easy. It's simply a matter of knowing what and what not to do.

Cleaning Gemstones - The best single piece of advise we can give you is to wipe your precious stone jewellery with a clean, soft damp cloth after wearing. This will ensure that your jewellery is always looking its best. For more information for home care of gemstones speak to your Jeweller.

Storing Gemstones - When your gemstone jewellery is not being worn, storage in a soft pouch is recommended.

Avoid harsh chemicals - There are some things to avoid. Salt water and harsh chemicals such as chlorine bleach or detergents can damage your jewellery. The chemicals erode the finish and polish of the gems leaving them dull. Hairspray, perfume and perspiration can also cause dullness if not regularly wipped clean.

Get expert advise on caring for your gemstones - Because gemstones differ so much, so do their cleaning procedures. It really is best to have your Jeweller advise you on them individually. We can also check its condition and advise you of any repairs that may be necessary to restore its full beauty and value.

It's certainly the safest way to ensure you retain the value and sparkle of your treasured pieces. 

Pearl Cleaning and Care

Maintaining the lustre and colour of your pearls.
Retaining the lustre and value of your pearl jewellery is not a difficult task. It's simply a matter of knowing what and what not to do.

Regularly wipe clean - to keep their original lustre wipe your pearls after each wear. This is especially so in summer as perspiration can affect them.

Store Pearls separately to prevent scratching - Because they can be scratched, it's a good idea to protect them in a chamois bag or wrapped separately, so your other jewellery doesn't harm them.

Avoid pearls contact with bleach or detergents - Some people find that their pearls change colour. Generally speaking this is because they have been worn when in the bath or working in the kitchen or laundry. Most cleaning agents contain bleach, so it's not surprising that pearls can lose colour under these circumstances.

Professional pearl cleaning is recommended - While pearls can be washed in a solution of mild soap and water, particular care has to be taken because of the silk thread. It really is best if pearls are cleaned professionally.

Check string to prevent loss of pearl beads - If you have a string of pearls it's wise to often check if the string is loose or wearing thin. Large strands of expensive pearls should be knotted between each pearl. This ensures that they don't all run loose if the silk strand breaks.

Re-stringing should be carried out yearly. Simply take them to our qualified Jeweller. He or she is a professional and can offer reliable, expert advice as well as skilled craftsmanship.

Opal Cleaning & Care 

Retaining the fire in your opals
Opal is softer than most popular gemstones, so it does need a little extra thought and care when cleaning or storing.

Opal cleaning should avoid harsh chemicals - Avoid all ultrasonic cleaners and steamers, bleach, chemicals and other jewellery cleaners. You can, however, safely wash solid opal in plain warm water or soapy water - but no detergent. The above procedure should not be used if your opal is a doublet or triple. The glue that holds the layers together reacts to exposure to water, dulling the appearance as the layers separate. Speak to our qualified Jeweller who has the necessary expertise and specialised equipment to clean opals.

Store opals away from heat and extreme temperature changes - Store each piece of your opal jewellery in its own padded cloth bag. Opals should not be exposed to high heat, direct sun, bright or hot lights, low humidity vaults and other similar temperature extremes. It is the rate of temperature change that damages the opals and can cause cracks. You need to avoid situations of extreme temperature change.

Avoid storing in oil - It is a myth that storing an opal in water or oiling it will heal existing cracks. Oil will actually discolour your opal. Understand that, if you wear an opal ring on a regular basis, it will require occasional repolishing. Reserving your ring for special occasions will greatly reduce the risk of damage.

Prevent opals from scratching Ensure to remove your opal ring or jewellery before physical activities like gardening and sports to prevent scratching and damage. Being somewhat soft, opals scratch easily. Opals are porous and absorb liquids so avoid immersion into water or detergents.

 Silver Cleaning & Care

Keeping silver bright and shiny
As with most precious metals, in time silver will oxidize. Properly maintained silver actually improves with age. It develops a lush patina when treated well.

Simply clean with a mild soap and water solution. Pat dry with a soft cloth. If dirt is more stubborn a silver cleaner is appropriate. But don't rub silver with anything other than a polishing cloth or fine piece of felt. Tissue paper or paper towels will cause scratches.

Like other jewellery, avoid wearing silver in chlorinated water as this will discolour it.

Store your silver jewellery in a cool, dry, dark place. A tarnish preventative bag is a good idea, or wrapped individually in a soft piece of felt or cloth.

Minimise your silver jewellery's exposure to air and light as this may cause tarnishing.

Gold Cleaning & Care

How to keep your gold jewellery in mint condition
Retaining the finish and value of your gold jewellery is quite easy. It's simply a matter of knowing what and what not to do.

Store jewellery to prevent scratching - To help protect against scratching, it's good practice to separate your gold jewellery in a compartmentalised jewellery box.

Remove gold jewellery during personal hygiene - Because soap tends to cause a film that can make gold appear dull and dingy, it's worthwhile removing your jewellery when you shower or bathe.

Regular cleaning of gold jewellery prevents tarnishing - The gold in most jewellery is an alloy. That is, it is a mixture of different metals. The inclusion of these other metals enable gold to be practical in every day usage. However because of these same inclusions, your jewellery can tarnish. This tarnishing can be caused by many things: perfume, after shave, fluoride in water or even the acidity in your skin. However this doesn't present you with a problem. A soft jewellery polishing cloth with tarnish preventive will help you keep the gold pieces lustrous and shining. These solutions and cloth are available in-store.

Warning!The procedures for cleaning gold should not be used if your gold jewellery contains any precious stones, pearls or opals. To clean these requires careful and expert attention. Our on-site Jewellers has the necessary expertise and specialised equipment. 

Diamond Cleaning and Care

Retaining your diamond's brilliance
Caring for diamonds is best not left to trial and error. Knowing what and what not to do ensures the lasting brilliance of your diamond jewellery.

Storing diamond jewellery -Because diamonds can easily scratch other jewellery, even other diamonds, the best single piece of advice is to keep your diamond jewellery in a fabric lined jewellery case with dividers.

Prevent scratching - It's not wise to wear a diamond ring when doing rough work. While diamonds are one of the hardest gemstones they can be chipped.

Diamond cleaning - Chlorine bleach can pit and discolour the mounting. Lotions, powders, soaps and even your natural skin oils can put a film on diamonds that cut down their brilliance. But this can be easily rectified. It's simply a matter of cleaning your diamonds fairly regularly.

Professional Cleaning of Diamonds - Visit your local Showcase Jeweller for the best advise on how to keep your diamond sparkling.

Check for wear & tear - It's wise to have our jeweller check wear and tear on the mounting at least once a year. Bring your jewellery to check for any wear and tear and receive advice if any preventative repair is required.