General
jewelry care guidelines
Knowing what to reasonably expect from your jewelry is key
to maintaining it properly. In many years as a jeweler I
have found that lots of otherwise rational people believe
jewelry is somehow exempt from the ravages of time and
wear. My theory is that it is easy to unconsciously confuse
the timeless sentiments and family bonds symbolized by a
piece of jewelry with the jewelry itself.
The truth is, all jewelry metals are relatively soft--even
platinum--and will scratch and eventually wear out. A ring
that is worn daily will need prongs rebuilt or replaced
every few years, and the shank (back) of the ring will
eventually become thin and need to be replaced. Any jewelry
with moving parts or places where two pieces of metal come
in contact (the links in chains come to mind) will wear
thin and eventually break. Surface finishes will wear down
and disappear completely in time. Stones will scratch and
chip, facet junctions will become worn; stones may fall
out, either because they shatter into pieces or their
settings give way. Even a diamond isn’t necessarily
“forever”--it, too, can chip and fracture.
Recommended jewelry maintenance includes regular
professional checkups to insure that stones are tight--a
loose stone will wear out its prongs from the inside--and
that the prongs have sufficient metal left to be secure.
This is especially important in these days of mass-produced
lightweight jewelry, when the life span of most commercial
jewelry can be counted in years, not decades. Most jewelers
will gladly oblige you with a free “clean and check”. Pearl
strands and bead necklaces should be restrung every couple
of years or whenever the silk begins to bag or fray.
Storing your jewelry
Store your jewelry in separate containers or compartments,
not mixed together, because harder gems will scratch softer
ones and almost all gems will scratch gold or silver.
Pearls and beads should be stored flat so the thread
doesn’t stretch out.
Don’t store jewelry in plastic bags. Some plastics emit
vapors that can pit and discolor metal and corrode the
surface of pearls and certain other gems.
Opals, amber, and pearls and other organic gems should not
be put in long-term storage in a safe deposit box, because
the dry air there can cause them to crack or craze.
Opals should not be stored at freezing temperatures because
they may craze. Opals should not be subjected to rapid
changes in temperature.
Questions about gems and jewelry may be addressed to
gemologist Hanna Cook-Wallace at Studio Jewelers, 1306
Regent Street, Madison, WI 53715, telephone (608)
257-2627. You may email her at: thegemologist@studiojewelerswi.com