Common Mistakes People Make With Their Jewellery

In our last article, we went over tips and tricks to help you make sure that your jewellery is always in tip-top shape. Regular care of your precious pieces is the best way to maintain the lustre and fire of your diamonds and gems, as well as the sheen of your precious metals.

As jewellery professionals, we have a lot of customers who come in with questions about how to take care of their jewellery. Sometimes, they have misconceptions or were given false information from something they’ve read online.

The unfortunate result is damage to the piece – anything from a loose prong causing a lost stone to a broken necklace chain. Your gemstones could also get scratched or dirtied and become cloudy or lose its shine. Whatever the negative outcome, if you’re not properly protecting your jewellery, you could find yourself with a whole lot of heartache.

Let’s take a look at some common mistakes people make when it comes to jewellery maintenance so that this doesn’t happen to you!

You Never Come Back

Have you recently bought an engagement ring, wedding band, necklace, or set of earrings from us? If so… we miss you! Please come and pay us a visit so that we can offer you our free cleaning services and treat your precious jewellery to its very own spa day!

No one can clean your precious pieces better than a professional jeweller like the ones at Vandenbergs Fine Jewellery. We have the know-how to make sure that no matter what you bring in that it is handled with the utmost care… you’ll leave with your piece thinking that it looks just as good as new!

For the best results, visit us every 6 months or at least once a year. You’ll see a big difference in the way your diamond shines after paying us a visit.

You Don’t Clean Them Properly

You might think that you don’t need to visit our store because you can clean your jewellery yourself. That’s fair, but sometimes you can find misleading information online that may give you the wrong idea of what methods you can use to clean your jewellery.

For example, take a look at these tips from Reader’s Digest which state that you that you can clean your jewellery with things like ketchup and toothpaste… when this isn’t true at all! In fact, these kinds of household items can just end up making your jewellery gunky, sticky, and ultimately harder to clean. Ketchup and toothpaste can get caught in between prongs or underneath the setting; they can even get inside the small links in a necklace chain, or make the clasp sticky and difficult to operate.

Actually, the easiest way to clean your jewellery is by using a simple solution of dish soap and warm water with a soft-bristled toothbrush or a washcloth. Harsh chemicals or other kinds of abrasive cleaners can end up damaging your pieces, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.

For instance, while alcohol can be used to clean residue off of diamonds, it shouldn’t be used on softer stones like emeralds, pearls, or opals. Instead of worrying about what can be used to clean what, just stick to simple cleaning solutions so you don’t have to be concerned at all.

In regards to cleaning tarnish off of silver, a simple silver polish or cleaner should do the trick. Just make sure you rinse well after applying the solution.

You Wear Your Jewellery at the Wrong Times

When it comes to something like a wedding or engagement ring, it can be easy to forget that you have it on. Here are some situations where you absolutely should not wear your pieces in:

· Never shower with your jewellery on; for that matter, don’t ever wear them in a situation where they will get wet – including washing the dishes.

· Don’t sleep with your necklaces, earrings, rings, etc., on – you could damage them, get them oily and dirty, or even hurt yourself in the process.

· Put perfume on and let settle first BEFORE you put on your pieces; this is especially important to remember when it comes to pearls. The harsh chemicals can cause some serious damage.

· Put jewellery on last, and take it off first – this will prevent snagging when putting on or removing clothing. Remember this as well for the next time you go shopping and want to try clothing on before making a purchase.

And it goes without saying… but just in case… always remember to carefully remove your jewellery and store it in a safe space. Never take them off over a sink – you could risk dropping a precious ring down the drain, so it’s better to not take any chances!

You Don’t Store Them Properly

Do you have a box that you simply toss all of your jewellery into? This is a huge no-no. Storing them like this can lead to tangled necklaces or scratched gemstones. Not only is it a pain but it’s also a definite way to cause damage to your treasured items.

This is definitely the wrong way to store your necklaces!

There are lots of creative ways to store your jewellery, but here are some ideas that might work for you:

Rings: Get a jewellery box with a ring insert – just like the ones that you’d find at a jewellery store.

Earrings: Hang on a meshed board, or store in individual compartments.

Necklaces: Hang off of hooks or lay flat in a drawer with a felt bottom. Keep pieces separate.

You Aren’t Learning More

One of the easiest ways to make sure that your fine jewellery is always looking its best is to learn more about your individual pieces and the specific care that comes with them. For example, caring for diamond jewellery can be a bit different than caring for gemstone jewellery – mostly because diamonds are the hardest naturally-occurring substances on earth and can take a beating much better than other gemstones.

So if you have any questions about caring for your pieces, be sure to stop by. We’ll be happy to answer all of your questions and show you the best way to properly care for your treasured jewellery!