Jewellery Care
TAKING CARE OF YOUR FINE JEWELLERY
Jewellery from The Village Goldsmith can last a lifetime if you look after it well. Although our jewellery is meticulously crafted from strong precious metals and high-quality gemstones, it can still be affected by elements you come into contact with on a day-to-day basis. Here are some tips for jewellery care and cleaning to help protect your investment:
If in doubt, take it off
- Take your ring off if you think it might have a chance of getting damaged.
- Diamonds and gemstones may crack, chip or shatter if they come in contact with or are accidentally dropped or hit on hard surfaces such as stone, metal or glass.
- Activities like workouts and using weights at the gym, lifting luggage or using garden tools can damage your ring.
- Chlorine and salt water can cause serious damage to precious metals over time so remove your jewellery before swimming in the sea or pool or soaking in hot tubs.
- Remove your ring or wear gloves when doing dirty jobs such as gardening or using abrasive cleaners or other chemicals.
- Try to remember to take off your ring when using hand soaps, lotions or hair products which can leave your jewellery looking dulled and tarnished, and can also result in skin irritation. Did you know that build up on the back of a diamond will stop the light being reflected?
Cleaning fine jewellery
- Fill a small bowl with warm water and add a little dishwashing liquid then remove your ring and place it in the bowl.
- Use a soft brush to remove the dirt, taking care not to use a harsh brush as it may scratch the platinum or gold.
- Once you’ve removed all the dirt, rinse it again in the bowl and then dry and clean it with a lint-free cloth.
The Village Goldsmith recommends that all fine jewellery should be inspected and cleaned professionally, often. For rings worn on a regular basis we recommend you do this at least once a year.
We offer complimentary inspection, cleaning and polish service by a jeweller at our Wellington workshop for all jewellery purchased from The Village Goldsmith. You’re welcome to bring your jewellery in at any time and a jeweller will carefully inspect the piece for any wear, loose stones or other issues requiring repair, and then clean and polish it for you. The service usually takes half an hour. If you want a jeweller to inspect, clean and polish a piece not purchased at The Village Goldsmith, there will be a $50 fee for this service. We can also quote the cost and help arrange shipping of your jewellery to us for inspection and cleaning.
