Jewellery Care

 

DAILY WEAR AND DAMAGE PREVENTION

To prevent accidental damage through knocks and bumps  it is recommended to remove your jewellery before activities such as swimming, exercising, gardening and washing dishes.

Be sure to apply any hair/ body products or perfume before putting your jewellery on to avoid any direct contact between the two. Self care products may contain chemicals, oils or fragrances which can seep into porous stones (particularly pearls!) or cause a colour reaction in the metal. 

STORAGE OF YOUR JEWELLERY

Store all of your jewellery individually, ideally in a drawer or non scratch surface  so that it will not scratch or rub against other pieces. If going long periods of time between wear, it is best to keep your jewellery in an air tight ziplock bag to avoid any oxidisation. Metals (particularly silver) can naturally develop a patina over time. The best way to avoid this is to wear it regularly and clean it regularly. 

BESPOKE JEWELLERY CHECKS  AND CLEANING

It is wise to have your bespoke jewellery checked once a year or so to ensure the settings around gemstones remain strong. Past bespoke clients are welcome to have their jewellery professionally checked, cleaned and polished at Eloise’s Melbourne CBD studio. Please email us to organise a time for this service. This takes about an hour or two and can often be done on the spot while you have a coffee or wine in the downstairs bar.

CLEANING YOUR JEWELLERY AT HOME

There are a few ways to keep your jewellery sparkling at home. To start with you can use a jewellery polishing cloth to gently buff the high surfaces of your jewellery. You can also soak your jewellery in a bath of warm water and mild dishwashing detergent then use an extra soft baby tooth brush for getting behind the stones. 

BICARB SODA, SALT AND FOIL METHOD

Another method for cleaning your jewellery at home is using the bicarb soda and foil method. This method is only suitable for diamonds, sapphires and rubies - not other delicate gemstones. To do this, line a bowl with aluminum foil (shiny side up). Place your jewellery inside, then sprinkle with approx 1 tsp of bicarb soda and 1tsp of salt. Cover with boiling water and return in 15 min when the water has cooled.

Video instructions can be found on Eloise’s Instagram highlights. 

ULTRASONIC CLEANERS

If you happen to have your own ultrasonic cleaner at home, they can be useful for removing dirt and grime that gets stuck behind your gemstones. Add a splash of dishwashing liquid and vinegar to your ultrasonic for cleaning your silver or gold. Be sure to only put harder gemstones such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies or garnets in an ultrasonic cleaner.   Never use an ultrasonic cleaner for jewellery with less durable gemstones such as tourmalines, emeralds, turquoise, opals, pearls. 

PEARL CARE

Pearls are porous and therefore caring for your pearls is very important.  Please do not drop your pearl jewellery on hard surfaces, submerge in water, wear with open woven clothing, spray with perfume or expose to cream/makeup of any kind. Pearls should be cleaned with a damp cloth but never submerged in water or sprayed with cleaning products. A good rule of thumb is to put your pearl jewellery on last.

GOLD PLATED JEWELLERY CARE

Please be conscious that gold-plated jewellery is delicate and will wear over time. Do not spray gold plated jewellery with perfume or wear in water.  A metal specific polishing cloth, or specialised jewellery cleaner can also be used to rejuvenate your piece. If you would like the gold plating renewed on your EF jewellery, we can do this for a nominal fee.