Jewelry Care

Congratulations! You have purchased a beautiful piece of jewelry that will last for generations. Here are some tips and guidelines so that you can keep your jewelry perfect over time.

Regular Maintenance

Jewelry is constantly exposed to wear and tear. For instance, think of a ring on your hand. How many activities do you perform every day using your hands? Or, wearing a pendant swinging back and forth that could possibly come in contact with other objects or get pulled on? Metal expands and contracts depending on the elements, so how can you keep your jewelry in excellent shape? The most important advice we can give to you is consistently bring in your jewelry at least every six months for a free cleaning and inspection. Then, we can tighten any loose gems and give you a full report on your jewelry’s condition.

When Not to Wear Your Jewelry

A piece of fine jewelry should not be worn during exercise, gardening, washing dishes or lifting heavy objects. Additionally, showering with your jewelry on can dull the gemstones, because soaps or other creams may get caught under the gallery of the piece.

Ultrasonic Use

Ultrasonic cleaning is a great option for most jewelry pieces, EXCEPT pieces containing:

Emeralds
Pearls
Opals
Tanzanite
Peridot

These gems are considered fragile and can be easily damaged in an ultrasonic, so always have professionals care for your jewelry.

Diamonds and Gemstones

Gemstones tend to loosen after an extended period of time. This is just caused by normal wear and tear, so it is imperative to have them regularly tightened and secured to avoid a potential loss. If you accidently hit your jewelry with any degree of force, stop wearing it immediately and have it checked by Joseph Jewelry to make sure no gemstones are in danger of falling out.

Irradiated Diamonds

Irradiated diamonds must not be exposed to direct intense heat, as the color of the diamond will change to its original color.

Pearls

Most single pearls in jewelry are glued. Therefore, it is vital that they are not exposed to heat, which would alter the color of the pearl and destroy the integrity of the glue that holds the pearl. Avoid abrasive surfaces when wearing a pearl as they will scratch and chip. Clean with warm water and laundry detergent, using a soft toothbrush to gently clean the pearls.

Pearl necklaces are strung with silk lines. Single knot stringing between each pearl will keep the necklace intact, but restringing is recommended every 3 to 5 years. Again, clean with warm water and laundry detergent using a soft toothbrush, and lay the necklace flat to air dry.

Special Bands

Eternity Bands

Eternity bands have gemstones all the way around the band, so special care needs to be taken when wearing these rings. Our hands touch hundreds of objects every day, and if gemstones are subject to constant friction, they may break and fall out of the ring. Similarly, intricate metalwork could be distorted and damaged. In most cases your gemstones are held by small beads or prongs, designed to be feminine and elegant; they also perform the all-important job of keeping your gemstones safe. Avoid touching any abrasive surfaces or doing hard physical tasks while wearing your eternity band so that the gemstones stay intact.

Women’s Wedding Bands

Wedding bands are usually worn against engagement rings. It is a good idea to solder the engagement and wedding rings together so they do not rub against each other and cause friction; we can solder them for you. Their constant unsoldered contact could damage the engraving, filigree, bezels or other intricate work that might be present on either ring.

Metal Care

Mokume Gane

These are the most unique pieces of jewelry on the market because they are organically created by hand and each has an individual pattern. Some of these rings have a patina applied to them to highlight the grain and show the different colors of metals. The three processes that could have been used on your ring are sand blasting, brushed polish finish or oxidization. Any of these finishes can be worn out over time depending on the degree of wear and tear, leaving a new natural patina. To reduce color fading, avoid aggressive friction against any surface. Try to avoid wearing your Mokume Gane ring during exercise, construction work, gardening or other abrasive activities. When owning a Mokume Gane ring with oxidization, avoid chlorine or other similar chemicals as they eat away the patina. However, we can restore this patina for you by re-oxidizing the ring, making it brand new again.

Engraving

Engravings are done under a microscope by hand, creating various patterns and finishes according to your request. Engraving can wear over time. To preserve the pattern, avoid bands rubbing against each other as well as abrasive surfaces. Avoiding friction will prolong the engraving on your piece of jewelry. We can also restore engraving back to brand new condition if necessary.

White Gold and Rhodium Plating

Unfortunately, white gold is not actually pure white. It initially has a champagne color or yellowish tone. To make your jewelry truly white gold, we use rhodium plating to mimic the color of platinum. Depending on wear and tear, areas that are rubbing the most against other surfaces will fade first. Rhodium plating is not permanent, so it will need consistent maintenance and restoration if necessary.

Platinum

Platinum is the most precious metal in fine jewelry and the strongest for holding gemstones. Platinum will last longer than any other precious metal against wear-ability. Additionally, platinum is hypoallergenic. If you are looking for permanently pure white metal, platinum is the choice for you. Despite these positive attributes, proper care is still necessary. To avoid scratching and dulling, keep the jewelry away from abrasive surfaces, coarse natural stones or other metals. We recommend 900-grade platinum for double the hardness, because 950-grade platinum is very soft.

Enjoy your jewelry! Remember, stop by or mail your jewelry to us at least every six months so we can keep it beautiful for you, free of charge. Feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions.