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Care Guide

In caring for your jewellery, it’s important to understand the vulnerabilities of precious metals and stones. To carefully maintain your new piece, we recommend avoiding exposure to any impact, pressure, harsh chemicals and extreme temperatures. Metal, gemstones and even diamonds can crack or chip upon impact with the wrong material. Chemicals and some household substances can weaken metal or damage the colour, clarity or lustre of gemstones, even if not immediately apparent.

The most important factor in caring for your fine jewellery is understanding appropriate wear. As much as we want you to love and enjoy wearing your jewellery, it’s important to remove pieces when:

 

Showering, bathing and swimming

Prolonged submergence in water, particularly in hot temperatures, can negatively impact some stones. Pool chemicals can also degrade materials and cause further damage to gemstones.

Sleeping

It’s not recommended to sleep with any piece of jewellery that has a high profile (in the case of rings) as these can get caught and bent/ warped. Low profile rings such as simple metal wedding bands and diamond eternity bands are ok to sleep in as they aren’t at risk of catching. Chains and statement earrings are at risk of tangling, stretching and warping so we advise that you take care if you choose to sleep in your jewellery.

Applying cosmetic products, lotions, soaps or perfumes

These can degrade materials and damage the colour, clarity or lustre of gemstones, either immediately or over time. Soaps and lotions also cause a build-up underneath stones that attracts dirt and can cause them to look cloudy or milky.

Exercising

Fine jewellery can be easily damaged through contact with weights or gym machinery/equipment, as well as via pressure applied during activities such as yoga and pilates. In some cases, sweat and oils from your skin can cause discolouration and skin reactions so we advise removal of pieces in advance.

Cleaning and gardening

Cleaning and household chores such as washing the dishes can expose your jewellery to soaps and chemicals (see notes above re soaps). Your jewellery can also be at risk of impact, and in the case of gardening and outdoor maintenance the piece is exposed to dirt, scratching and damaging impacts.

Doing any hands-on work, where your jewellery is exposed to chemicals or force

Depending on your professional life, you will need to carefully assess whether your piece should be worn during working hours. If in doubt about whether you should wear your piece in a specific situation, be safe and take it off. Adhering to these guidelines will assist in maximising the longevity of your piece.

Engagement and long-term wear jewellery

In selecting a fine piece of jewellery for your engagement or wedding ring, you must be aware of the additional care and maintenance guidelines to ensure the longevity of your piece. Pieces are only guaranteed in the case where jewellery has been cared for in line with the provided care instructions. Fine pieces require additional care over the course of time. If you have any questions or concerns about your piece throughout its lifetime, please contact us and we will assist you in any way possible.

Mixing metals

When wearing jewellery of different materials, such as mixing 9ct, 14ct and 18ct golds with other metals such as sterling silver or platinum, or fashion jewellery made from other materials such as stone or ceramic, be cautious of direct contact as this can cause your fine jewellery to rub against these alternative materials and wear at a faster rate. It’s best to separate different materials to avoid direct contact to extend the longevity of the pieces.

Stones

Pieces with stones require extra care, specifically those with precious stones. We recommend having stones checked every 4-6 months by a professional (based on regular wear), to ensure they are not loose. You can also check this at home by gently tapping the surface of the stone with your fingertip and watching for any movement or listening for any clicking. If you have knocked your piece, or if you suspect a stone is loose, refrain from wearing it until it can be checked professionally.

Special care stones

Special care stones include but are not limited to opals, moonstones, pearls and emeralds. These stones are soft, fragile or specially treated, and therefore require special care and careful wear.

Diamonds

Diamond is the hardest natural material on earth, however these stones still require a certain level of care in order to ensure their longevity. Chipping, cracking, scratching and cleaving are all still possible if diamonds come under extreme force or sudden intense impact. Diamond pieces need meticulous care, and regular checking. Wear according to the above care instructions is imperative. Loose diamonds can damage the metal in settings, so we recommend professional checking of diamond solitaires every 6 months for tightness, which is a service we provide free of charge.

Pavé settings

Fine, pave set bands should be worn with care at all times, to avoid loosening stones. Check your ring regularly for any signs of loose stones and if you have knocked your piece, or if you suspect a stone is loose, refrain from wearing it until it can be checked professionally.

Earrings

Avoid wearing earrings in any scenario where they could catch or be pulled, such as during impact sports or high intensity activities. If you feel your earring backs are loose, avoid wearing them and contact us for replacements.

Necklaces and bracelets

When unworn, take care not to tangle fine chains. If a clasp appears as though it is becoming loose, do not wear the necklace or bracelet, but return to us for checking. Avoid wearing fine chain pieces around pets or small children who might pull on or catch the chains as they can be stretched or snap and cause potential injury. Store fine chains individually to avoid tangling and knotting.

Cleaning

Polish your jewellery with the polishing cloth provided. Stone pieces (excluding special care stones) can be cleaned using warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush. Cleaning is a good time to check over your piece and check the tightness of stones. We offer complimentary cleaning of Bespoke pieces every 12 months. This is encouraged and is especially important for white gold pieces, which require replating every 12-18 months. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners for pavé set and fine stone pieces, or special care stones.

Storing

When not being worn you should store your jewellery carefully. Ensure that all chains are individually stored to avoid tangling and knotting, and that stone pieces aren’t subject to being knocked or rubbing on other pieces. If possible, store each piece of jewellery in way that it is not in direct contact with other materials or jewellery to avoid scratching. Sterling silver and some 9ct golds can experience oxidisation when unworn for long periods of time and will require repolishing to return to their original colours (see Cleaning).

 

Insurance

Insurance is vital for precious pieces, especially where the value exceeds $5000. Ensure you are covered for loss, accidental damage or theft. Independent valuation can be organised on completion of your piece prior to delivery on request. We recommend keeping an up to date inventory of your jewellery collection including images and valuations, in the unfortunate case that something does go missing.

Vintage

Our specially curated collection of vintage pieces is carefully restored by our team of Sydney-based jewellers to enable long-term wear alongside a strict routine of care. In many cases these pieces are up to 200 years old and have been passed down through generations, so all pieces show signs of wear associated with their age and previous lives. It is imperative that the appropriate care is taken to maintain and preserve these special pieces so that they can continue to be worn and passed down into the future. All of the beforementioned care instructions need to be strictly adhered to in order to ensure the ongoing quality of these pieces.

Please note that while we undertake a vigorous quality check and have each piece individually assessed by an independent valuer, these pieces were not made by us and are very old and as a result we cannot control or guarantee their longevity, nor foresee potential future issues that may arise through regular wear. If you have any cause for concern or have knocked your vintage piece, refrain from wearing it until it can be checked professionally.

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