With a little care your fine jewellery will keep its good looks forever. The best way to clean your jewellery is to soak it in warm water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent. (Forget auntie’s story about soaking it in gin or whisky – that’s just wasteful) Brush where dirt and soap can collect with a soft toothbrush, rinse and pat dry.
You won’t need to clean your jewellery so often if you put it on after applying cosmetics, perfume, and hair product. Don’t wear your jewellery while doing strenuous activities like sports where it will get covered in sweat, or while gardening or baking scones etc where dirt and gunk will get trapped under the gemstones. Always make sure that it is dry and clean by wiping with a soft cloth before putting it away.
Protect your jewellery; don’t keep it in a tangle in your jewellery box. The harder gemstones can scratch and damage softer gemstones and metal.
It is recommended to get your jewellery professionally checked and cleaned once a year. If any wear and tear is starting to appear on the claws or band it can easily be repaired before diamonds start falling out. Your insurance will only stay valid if your jewellery is in a safe condition to be worn.
Why does silver tarnish and go black?
When silver is exposed to the atmosphere it causes a chemical reaction that creates silver sulphate. There isn’t really much you can do to stop silver tarnishing. It’s just the nature of silver. It reacts to chemicals, whether it’s chemicals in the air or chemicals touching it.
The best way to prevent silver from tarnishing believe it or not ….
Is to wear it!
Just the normal wear and tear and friction of daily life will often be enough to keep your silver jewellery bright and white.
There are a number of silver cleaning products which do an excellent job of removing the tarnish.
The Hagarty range of silver cleaning products are recommended. It will make your silver jewellery look like new again.