Jewellery care guide
At Petra Jewellery we pride ourselves on building jewellery that is designed to with stand your day-to-day lifestyle, however, like anything there is still a sensible amount of upkeep needed to ensure that your pieces last for generations.
We offer a full ‘clean check and polish’ service which we recommend for each piece of jewellery around once every year. Think of it like an ‘MOT’ for your car. It gives us a chance to check the settings, stones and general item are all secure, and we then give it a professional clean and polish using our state of the art machinery.
In between it’s annual service, there are things that you can do to ensure that you are keeping your jewellery as safe and looking as perfect as possible.
Check the claws
Each claw around any stone should be built up properly around the stone. One of the most common issues we see during annual checks are claws that have worn down and are no longer protecting the stone that they are holding. If you are unsure if your claws need retipping, please send a photo to info@petrajewellery.com or pop in and see us so that we can take a look for you.
Rattling stones
If your stones are loose, there will be a very noticeable rattle. Simply take the item in two fingers, hold it up to your ear, and tap it gently. If you hear it rattling then your stone is loose. It is very important that you remove the item of jewellery at this point until you can come and see us, as there is a risk that the stone could fall out without you noticing. It might simply need tightening, or the setting may need re-building, but either way we are always happy to help.
Gold
Exposure to soap and chemicals can actually dull gold. For this reason it is always best practice to remove any jewellery when bathing, cleaning or showering. When storing it, it is best to put it back in its box away from other jewellery so that nothing scratches it, and hang up chains so that they don’t get tangled. To clean it in between your annual clean check and polish, a simple mixture of dish soap and warm water with a soft tooth brush will get it looking lovely and shiny again, and always use a soft cloth or tissue to dry it, or you can purchase specialised jewellery wipes from us which do not require soap and water.
Care tips for specific metals
Platinum
Although platinum is extremely durable and long lasting, it does still scratch. For this reason, similar advice is needed when caring for platinum as when caring for gold. Although harsher chemicals won’t discolour platinum, they may well affect any stones set into it and may trap some of the chemicals underneath it against your skin. So for this reason we still recommend that you remove it when necessary.
Silver
The main thing to note when caring for silver jewellery is that silver can tarnish. This is when the silver goes black because it has come into contact with body oils, makeup, silver, sweat, perfume and a number of other external substances. All of the silver pieces we sell are now rhodium plated, which is the same finish applied to white gold to make it white. This illuminates the possibility of it tarnishing, and means that it can be cared for in the same way as gold jewellery. However if your piece isn’t rhodium plated it will need regularly polishing with a soft cloth and some silver polish. If your piece isn’t rhodium plated, we may be able to rhodium plate it for you. Please bring it in to us so that we can take a look for you and see.
Stone care
Diamonds
Caring for your diamonds is relatively simple as long as your are following our standard jewellery care guidelines. Warm soapy water is acceptable for cleaning them, or you can pick up a specialised ‘dazzle stick’ from us to give it an extra sparkle on the go.
Emeralds
Emeralds are much more delicate and easy to damage than many other gemstones. It is extremely important that you are careful when wearing them as even the best quality emeralds can have small inclusions that may cause them to break on impact. It is very important to avoid all substances that might dilute or remove the oils from the emerald such as harsh detergents, and you must never soak them for this same reason. A quick rinse in warm water should suffice until your jewellery’s recommended annual service.
Opals
Opals are notoriously soft and easy to damage. This is why we do not recommend putting them in rings, because it is so easy to accidentally damage them. There are a variety of different types of opals with different care guidelines. For example, fire opals will completely lose their colour if exposed to water. For this reason we advise that you take great care when cleaning your opals, and where possible leave it to the professionals.
other
Most other stones can be cared for in the same way as diamonds, but with extra care because they aren’t quite as hard. If you are wanting any advice on your specific gemstone, please contact the team and we will be happy to assist you.
If you have any other questions or would like to book your jewellery in for its yearly ‘clean check and polish’, please use the link below and we look forward to seeing you soon.
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Established in 1979, Petra Jewellery is an independent family jewellers based in Basingstoke, run by mother/daughter duo Petra and Mitch. We make all our jewellery in the UK and source our stones from only the very best fair trade dealers in Hatton Garden. All Petra wedding rings come with a lifetime guarantee and free annual cleaning.