Diamond is the hardest substance in nature and sterling silver is a soft, reactive metal — a combination that lasts decades if you look after it, and a few months if you do not. Everything below takes a few seconds a day.
The Golden Rule
Last on, first off. Put your jewelry on after you have dressed, applied perfume and done your hair. Take it off before you undress, wash, cook or go to bed.
Everyday Habits That Protect Your Jewelry
- Remove rings before showering, swimming, washing up, exercising or gardening.
- Keep pieces away from perfume, hairspray, body lotion, sunscreen and hand sanitiser — the alcohol and oils dull stones and accelerate tarnish.
- Avoid chlorine. Pools and hot tubs are among the few things that will genuinely damage a setting over time.
- Take jewelry off before bed. Chains stretch and links work loose against a pillow.
- Do not wear pieces loose in a pocket or an open bag, where they scratch against each other.
Cleaning Lab-Grown Diamonds
- Fill a small bowl with warm water and add two drops of mild washing-up liquid.
- Soak the piece for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Brush gently with a soft toothbrush, working around the setting, behind the stone and along the claws where grease collects.
- Rinse in a strainer — never over an open plughole.
- Pat dry with a lint-free cloth and let it air for a few minutes before wearing.
Avoid touching the face of the stone with your fingers afterwards. The natural oil on your skin is enough to dull it. Once a month is enough for a piece worn daily; a jeweler’s ultrasonic cleaner is fine for plain solitaires but should not be used on pavé, glued or fragile settings.
Caring for Sterling Silver
Tarnish is not a defect. Sterling silver reacts with sulphur compounds in air, moisture and some foods, and develops a dark surface layer. It forms fastest in humid climates, near rubber and wool, and in contact with certain cosmetics — and it polishes off completely.
- Polish with the cloth included in your box, using light strokes in one direction.
- Clean silver regularly rather than waiting for it to blacken — the longer tarnish sits, the harder it is to remove.
- Wear it. The gentle friction of wearing sterling silver actually slows tarnishing.
- Store pieces in the anti-tarnish pouch and in a dry place, individually, so they cannot scratch one another.
- Never use abrasive pastes, toothpaste, bleach or a hard brush on silver.
What to Avoid
- Pools, hot tubs and seawater — chlorine and salt attack both plating and settings.
- Household cleaning products, bleach and ammonia.
- Ultrasonic cleaners for pavé, stone-set bands, glued settings, pearls or opals.
- Storing several pieces loose together in one box, where they will scratch each other.
- Wearing jewelry while lifting weights, moving furniture or doing DIY.
Storing Your Jewelry
Keep pieces separate. A lined jewelry box, or the pouch your order arrived in, will do. Chains should be fastened before storing, and laid flat or hung, so they cannot knot. Store in a dry room rather than a bathroom, where steam accelerates tarnish.
Rhodium Plating
Most of our white silver pieces carry a rhodium plating, which gives a bright white finish and slows tarnishing. With daily wear, plating typically lasts 12 to 24 months before it begins to wear through — most obviously on the underside of a ring. When that happens the piece is not damaged, only due for a refresh. We offer a re-plating service; contact us for the current price and turnaround.
Warranty and Wear Are Different Things
Our 12-month warranty covers manufacturing faults — a loose stone, a failed clasp, a plating defect present from new. It does not cover scratches, tarnish, stretched chains, or damage from chemicals and knocks, because those are the result of wear rather than a fault in the piece. If you are ever unsure which category your issue falls into, send us a photograph and we will tell you straight.
When to See a Jeweler
Check the claws of a diamond ring every few months. If a claw looks flattened, bent or worn, or a stone moves when you press it gently with a fingernail, stop wearing the piece and have a local jeweler tighten the setting. It is a cheap, quick fix that prevents a much more expensive loss.