Cleaning, inspecting, and maintaining your jewelry

 



Your jewelry has great significance to you, because as we say, jewelry is about the stories. Like with anything else, it takes some regular maintenance to make sure that those pieces are kept in a state to be safely worn. As with tires on a vehicle, metals in jewelry tend to wear down over time and life and its many bumps along the way, can certainly “happen” to our pieces. Precious metals are soft by nature and even the calcium in our water can build up under our gemstones and make them appear dull or even cloudy. We have even seen cases where the water was so hard, diamonds took on an orangish hue from rust accumulation! 
 
Below are some recommendations from the Studio D team for keeping your jewelry safe, clean, and sparkly for many years to come... 
 
At home, precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum can often simply be cleaned with a polish and microfiber cloth. Diamond jewelry can gently be scrubbed with a soft-bristled brush and a solution of one-part mild dish detergent, one part ammonia, and three parts lukewarm water. Delicate gemstones such as pearls or opals can be cleaned with a moistened soft cloth. We recommend never rinsing any jewelry over a sink; use a bowl of clean water on your counter instead and avoid the danger of something precious going down the drain! And always avoid harsh chemicals on any type of jewelry.  
 
No matter how well you clean and maintain your jewelry at home, there is no substitution for $3800 worth of commercial cleaning equipment and an expert with a loupe! Anyone on our team of dedicated jewelry professionals will be happy to use these and other magical tools to clean and inspect your jewelry any time, free of charge. We are happy to offer this service so that you are aware of the condition of your jewelry. If your piece requires additional services from our onsite jewelers, we will show you why under a microscope, work up a quote and if you choose to have it serviced, a date when your piece will be ready.  

We recommend having your jewelry inspected about every six months. Similar to a vehicle, jewelry takes maintenance, and much like a vehicle, routine maintenance keeps more catastrophic events, like a missing center stone, from occurring.  
 
It may take some time out of your busy day, but ensuring the prongs in your ring are still holding up is well worth it, trust us! And getting that shiny-clean, looking-like-new piece lets you wear it again as though it’s the first time. And with peace of mind. 
 
Call or text Studio D at: 815.337.2015, or just stop by to see us next time you’re on the Woodstock Square. We’re always happy to see you.