Caring for Your Jewellery

Different materials need different treatment. Here is how to look after each piece in our collections.

Gold

Clean with warm water, a drop of mild washing-up liquid and a soft brush. Rinse and dry with a lint-free cloth. Remove gold jewellery before swimming — chlorine attacks the alloys in gold over time and can, in the worst cases, make a ring brittle enough to break. Take it off before using household cleaning products, and before applying hand cream.

White gold

White gold is naturally a warm, pale grey. Its bright white appearance comes from a fine rhodium plating applied over the surface. That plating gradually wears with everyday contact, and the warmer tone beneath begins to show through — usually first on the underside of a ring.

This is completely normal and is not a defect. Re-plating restores the original finish. Depending on how often a piece is worn, this is typically needed every one to two years.

Diamonds — natural and lab grown

Diamond is the hardest natural substance, but it is also stubbornly attracted to grease. Skin oils, hand cream and cosmetics build up behind the stone where you cannot see them, and that film — not the diamond — is what dulls the sparkle.

Soak in warm soapy water for a few minutes, brush gently behind and beneath the setting with a soft toothbrush, rinse and dry. Doing this monthly makes a visible difference.

Lab grown diamonds are chemically, physically and optically identical to mined diamonds. They are cared for in exactly the same way.

Coloured gemstones

Sapphire, ruby, emerald, topaz, amethyst, garnet and opal are all softer than diamond and more vulnerable to heat and chemicals.

Clean with a soft, barely damp cloth and mild soap only
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner or steam — emeralds and opals can crack
Keep away from perfume, hairspray and sudden temperature changes
Store separately, as a diamond will scratch any coloured stone it touches

Pearls

Pearls are organic and the most delicate thing we sell. They are damaged by acid, alcohol and perfume — and by the natural acidity of skin.

Put pearls on last, after perfume, hairspray and make-up have dried
Wipe with a soft damp cloth after each wear
Never soak pearls or use any cleaner on them
Store flat in a soft pouch, never hanging, and never in a sealed plastic bag — pearls need a little moisture in the air

Everyday habits that matter most

Jewellery on last when dressing, off first when undressing
Remove rings before sport, gardening, lifting and manual work
Store each piece separately in a lined box or soft pouch
Have stone-set pieces professionally inspected once a year