Maintenance
Get your jewellery cleaned and checked at least annually by your jeweller. They will be able to recommend any maintenance required, before you suffer any expensive loss. Don’t attempt to clean jewellery using any form of chemical or an ultrasonic cleaner yourself, you are likely to do more harm than good. Some gemstones and settings should not even become wet.

Valuation for Insurance
Have everything that you would make a claim on in the event of a loss, properly valued for insurance.  The description on a valuation should be detailed enough for a jeweller to draw a pretty accurate sketch of an item. Most valuations these days come with digital images included to aid the insurer, the Police as well as the owner, when it comes to identification in the event of a loss or recovery. Have the valuation updated every four or five years as jewellery and its replacement values, do not follow the practice of index linking as some insurers believe. In the event of a loss, insurers sometimes insist you get the replacement from their choice of supplier. Should you rather replace lost pieces from your jeweller, ensure you read all the conditions in the policy before signing it.

Do also bear in mind that in the case of any loss, sentiment unfortunately cannot be given a monetary value.

Chemicals
Certain chemicals can harm your precious items, we use some of them so often we don’t think of them as chemicals. Hairspray, perfume, nail varnish remover, even perspiration can all affect jewellery. If you are going to wear hairspray or other cosmetics, put them on first and give them a chance to dry before putting on your jewellery.

Chlorine is particularly damaging, so if you are going swimming leave your jewellery locked in the safe at home. No safe? They are available for less than the price of a tank of petrol, how does that compare to the price of your engagement ring?

Allergies
A number of people have suffered an allergic reaction when wearing jewellery. Often heard was the phrase “I’m allergic to 9 carat gold”. This is not the case, Gold is a noble metal, it is not possible to be allergic to it. The allergy stems from a reaction to other alloys used e.g. the other 15 carats in 9 carat gold (total 24 which would be pure). Most often the allergy comes from nickel, which has now been outlawed in the Nickel Directive. The above explanation also covers allergic reaction to sterling silver.

The Metals
 
Platinum
Often considered to be a hard metal, this is not entirely true. Pure platinum is fact softer than gold, what makes platinum jewellery (usually 950 (95% pure)) harder wearing than gold is the metal it is mixed with to make the alloy. You must also remember, that only in jewellery terms does this make it hard, for example, it is no where near as hard as common metals such as steel and chrome.

Platinum is very durable and takes a fine polish that is resistant to wear. It is naturally a greyish white and is often rhodium plated to make it even whiter. It requires a higher level of craftsmanship and also being rarer than gold, explains why it is worth the extra expense.

For a more information on the finer details of Platinum here.

Gold
Many believe, including some jewellers, that the higher the carat of gold the softer the metal (gold is a soft metal). Thus 9 carat gold, being alloyed with other metals tends to be more resistant to scratching than say 22 carat gold. This is not necessarily the case. Many manufacturers producing 18 carat gold jewellery ensure that, as the jewellery is higher quality, the alloy is harder wearing. This way when you have bought a piece of fine jewellery it will last a long time.

You can find out more about Gold here..

Silver
Silver is one of the precious metals. It can achieve a great polish and does not tarnish in its pure form. Most silver jewellery is silver combined with other metals as an alloy. This makes it more suitable for general use. Sterling silver, like some other precious metal alloys, can oxidise over time. Properly maintained silver jewellery improves with age and develops a beautiful patina. Treat your silver well, care for it properly and it will reward you with a long life and a special look.

For detailed information on Silver, click here.

Other Jewellery Items

Watches
Your watch is a very intricate piece of engineering and works non-stop day after day. You would not expect your car to do this without a service so follow the instructions on servicing. As a guide a service every three or four years should help it last for decades.

Give your watch a quick check on a regular basis, making sure that the strap or bracelet is securely attached to the case.

If you have a mechanical watch wind it in a clockwise direction. Often it is recommended that you do this about the same time each day. Remove the watch from your wrist when winding so as not to place undue pressure on the winder.

Water resistance is often misunderstood, for example a watch saying 30 metres on the dial sounds like it is perfectly safe to swim in. The 30 metres is actually a static pressure that the watch can take. Did you know that just jumping into a pool can exceed this pressure therefore possibly letting water into the watch? If you really have to know the time when you are in the pool, it is recommended that you have a watch with a 100 metre water resistance or greater. Even then don’t wear it in the bath or while taking a shower.

Pearls
Cultured pearls are formed inside oysters. As they are of organic origin, although they are beautiful, they are particularly susceptible to damage. For this reason you should treat cultured pearls with great care.

Cosmetics including perfume and hairspray should be applied before you put on any cultured pearl jewellery, otherwise the nacre or skin, can become permanently damaged. After wearing, clean them with a soft dry cloth.

Should you need to wash your cultured pearl jewellery, do it with water and maybe a drop or two of detergent. Obviously don’t get cultured pearl stud earrings wet as it may affect the pearl cement.

Don’t use any form of chemicals, as they are most likely to damage the cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are soft and any rough treatment such as carrying in a handbag or putting them loose in a jewellery box may also damage them. Wrap them in acid-free tissue for protection.

Everyday wear, and the natural constituents of your skin can have a detrimental effect on the silk used to thread your cultured pearls. Get a jeweller to check them regularly. The frequency of rethreading depends on many different factors, but once a year is a good idea.

Natural, Enhanced, Manmade, Synthetic, Created etc.