How to care for your jewellery
Here my 6 tips on how to keep your Jewellery by Anita piece looking its best.
All types of jewellery should be treated with some tender loving care to keep them looking good and maintaining their value over time. Use these tips as a guide to maintaining your precious items for the long term.
1. Wear with care
Fine jewellery is not designed for hazardous workplaces, swimming, housework or gardening.
Avoid wearing your jewellery while doing heavy manual work or repetitious tasks that could scratch the metal surface or chip your diamonds.
Exposure to chemicals can also damage or discolour your jewellery. Even everyday substances like hairspray, lotion, perfume or other cosmetics can contain chemicals that will permanently damage the surface of pearls and other porous gems.
2. Check your jewellery
It is very important to check your jewellery for wear and tear, especially gem set jewellery where the setting or claws can become worn.
Just like servicing your car, booking in your jewellery for an annual check can prevent major problems down the line.
As part of my after care service, your item will be professionally cleaned and checked to make sure the structure of your jewellery is maintained for the life of the item. This includes checking the prongs, claws, links, fasteners and stones and re-polishing small scratches from the surface – for free.
To book your appointment, click here.
And remember, the best person to check your ring is you! As the wearer of your piece, regurlarly check to see if any stones are loose before they are lost.
3. Give it a clean
Gently clean your jewellery occasionally to remove any oils, dust or contamination.
As your items will be professionally cleaned and checked every 12 months, a simple clean with soap and water is all that’s needed in the meantime to maintain that bright shine.
Never use 'old wives' jewellery cleaning methods involving toothpaste or baking soda which is rubbed onto the metal. This will remove tiny amounts of metal every time you do it and over time it will damage and deplete your precious jewellery.
Soak your jewellery in warm water overnight and a small amount of dishwashing liquid. Gently scrub with a soft toothbrush, rinse thoroughly with water and dry with a soft cloth.
4. Store jewellery separately
Different gemstones have different hardness and can easily scratch or knock each other if stored together.
Keep jewellery in soft-lined compartments and take care to close any fastenings so items don’t catch or tangle.
Jewellery should be stored away from direct sunlight, damp, and extremes of heat or cold. Try to keep your piece in the Jewellery by Anita box that it comes in, as it is the easiest and best way to protect it from dust and damage.
5. Rhodium plating
White gold is rhodium plated to give it the bright silver shine and the plating only lasts up to 12 months.
The plating can be reapplied (at an additional cost) to ensure your white gold jewellery maintains its bright shine and can be done at the same time as the annual check up and clean that comes as a standard with every Jewellery by Anita piece.
6. Valuations
Valuations should also be part of your maintenance plan, and I recommend re-valuing your items every 5 years to ensure you are covered for the current value of your jewellery – just in case the unfortunate was to happen and your jewellery was no longer in your possession.
Ask your insurer what your cover includes and which items need to be itemised to ensure I can remake your piece at no cost to you.
If you have any questions about how to care for your individual piece, please contact me.
