Looking after your jewellery: cleaning tricks to storage tips

1. Regularly clean jewellery

It’s easy to forget that jewellery can be tarnished or damaged from everyday tasks like showering, exercising, cooking, household cleaning, or even simply using lotions or perfumes. To avoid this type of wear and tear, remove your jewellery if you’re using any household chemicals or heading to the gym or for a swim. This will help your jewellery keep its lustre, whether gold, silver, platinum, or gemstone.

When it comes to cleaning, try to do this yourself every few months to prevent the risk of discolouration and the build-up of dirt which could irritate your skin. To clean jewellery, you can buy purpose-made equipment but, for most precious metals and stones, warm soapy water,alongside a soft-bristled brush (like a toothbrush), and a clean, soft cloth are all you need.

If you want something a little more specialised, many jewellers recommend or sell cleaning solution so you can keep your jewellery shining brightly. Often these are simple to use – all you need to do is drop the jewellery into the solution, leave for a few moments, then remove with tweezers and use your soft-bristled brush to gently clean it before drying with the cloth. If looking for products online, it’s a good idea to read the reviews before ordering to make sure the cleaner is made by a trusted brand.

Cleaning gemstones

There are so many beautiful gemstones used in jewellery these days. For the most part – including diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires –they can be washed gently using warm water with a dash of washing up liquid.. As you would with precious metals, soak your gems for a up to half an hour, gently brush away the loosened grime with a brush, and polish them dry with a soft cloth.

That said, it’s worth bearing in mind that some gems require different treatment. Pearls, for example, aren’t technically gemstones as they’re formed underwater as a by-product of oysters, mussels, and clams. As such, they need a little extra care. You should wipe them clean with a damp, soft cloth and use a mild soapy solution on a cloth to gently rub away any stains. After washing, make sure you dry your pearls thoroughly as trapped moisture can cause discolouration.

2. Inspect clasps and settings

Lots of jewellery is delicate, with different types of tiny clasps keeping necklaces and bracelets fastened, and settings to secure jewels in place. Whether you wear a piece of jewellery on a daily basis or you only bring it out for special occasions, make a habit of inspecting the condition of its clasps and settings to avoid losing a precious piece or stone while you’re out and about.

Always treat delicate jewellery with care too. Try to avoid tugging on stiff clasps to open them – if they’re proving problematic, take them to a jeweller who will be able to refashion the clasp to be easier to use. Take care where you leave your jewels too – for example, don’t leave anything heavy on top of a piece of jewellery, which could crush and break a fragile clasp, and be careful not to leave your jewels in high humidity, or wet and soapy after a clean. This could lead to residue building up and compromising the clasp action.

The same goes for settings – make sure they aren’t bent from getting caught or crushed and keep them clean and dry. And, when you’re not wearing your jewellery, make sure it’s stored properly.

3. Store your jewels carefully

As a rule, jewellery should be stored in a dry environment, preferably in a purpose-made jewellery box with soft fittings that keep the jewels separate from each other to avoid scratches. This is especially true if your pieces are set with gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, or emeralds.

You can store jewellery in cotton bags to help protect them from moisture, for example gold and platinum jewellery. While you’ll never be able to stop your silver jewellery tarnishing, you can store silver in such a way as to slow down the process – for example, wrapping it in a cloth or popping it in a pouch or a sealable bag. You could also try adding silica pouches to your jewellery box to help keep moisture to a minimum.

That said, you should never keep pearls in dry airtight containers as they may crack without exposure to moisture. It’s best to wrap pearls in cotton or linen where they can breathe, while remaining protected from the risk of scratches from harder stones and metals.

4. Consider extra security

Jewels are always going to be a target for thieves. Whether of financial or sentimental value, the loss of a treasured piece of jewellery can be devastating. It’s therefore important to consider how safely you store your jewels.

Is your jewellery box hidden from sight? Does it have a lock? For high-value collections, you may need to invest in a safe. There are a range of grades to choose from on the market, and we’ve explained your options in our article: Safety First – top tips for your home safe. You may even find your home insurance specifies the need to keep certain jewels in a specific grade of safe in order to validate your policy – just ask your insurer or broker if you’re unsure.

Lastly, when you keep valuable jewels at home, it’s always beneficial to regularly review your home security in general. We’ve pulled together a list of top home security tips that can help you protect your home from break-ins and thefts.