How to: look after your antique jewellery
Investing in beautiful antique jewellery is a wonderful way to treat yourself or someone you love, but anything with age needs a little TLC on occasion!
As antique jewellery often uses metals and stones of the era it was designed in, caring for your special pieces requires a little time and effort and the right information to ensure you preserve your jewellery exactly how you want it. The better you look after your jewellery, the longer it will last, which can be important if its something you want to pass down through your family.
Below weve listed our top tips for looking after your antique jewellery.
Check the surface
Before you do any cleaning, you need to inspect the surface of your jewellery to check for any tiny particles of dust or grime which have built up and then remove them with a soft brush. They might be so small that you need a magnifying glass to check the items over, but this is well worth taking the time to do. Failing to do so could cause you to scratch and permanently damage your jewellery.
Look out for cracks: carefully look for any damage to the stones and mounts of rings, as any cracks can make these very fragile. If you spot any damage its always best to take your piece to a restorer or jeweller.
Know your materials
Once you've thoroughly checked over your antique jewellery for dust and small particles, you need to choose the right cleaning solutions, depending on the materials and stones in your jewellery.
Generally, when it comes to a cleaning solution its best to use specialist, reputable brands for the metal youre looking to treat, and only ever try and clean a piece if its undamaged. Follow the packet instructions for example, diamonds are almost impossible to scratch, but emerald is far softer meaning it could scratch using a scrubbing brush! and if youre worried try a small inconspicuous area of your piece to start with.
Silver can generally withstand a homemade solution of bicarbonate of soda diluted in water, whereas gold can scratch easily, so go for very mild soaps.
It can be risky to trial homemade recipes on precious jewellery; so always ask the advice of your jeweller who can advise on the associated risks (or give us a call!).
Put the polish away!
Another simple, cost-effective way to care for your antique jewellery is to polish it every couple of months with a soft jewellery cloth which you can buy inexpensively, and just use the cloth, not any household polish. This will keep your items looking bright and sparkling for months on end.
For more tips on looking after your antique jewellery, read our blog on diamond care, by clicking here: https://www.laurelleantiquejewellery.co.uk/index.php?route=blog/blog&blog_id=47