After acquiring a stunning antique piece, often you’ll want to ensure your ring is a bright and gleaming as the day you first saw the piece. Some rings are fairly durable and can take daily wear quite well, while others will tarnish if not cared for while wearing and storing. Regardless of what combination of stones and/or metals you have – this handy guide will help you keep the life and best value in your inventory and help the heritage shine through for future astonishment.
Quick Tips
- When getting ready, remember to remove your jewellery when applying scents such as perfume or aftershave. Chemicals in the scents can begin to damage the items
- Remove jewellery when swimming to avoid chemical damage from chlorine
- If you do come into contact with any of the above while wearing jewellery, simply rinse with lukewarm water under the tap and give the ring time to dry naturally
Storage
Ensure to store your Jewellery as isolated as possible. What do I mean by this? A simple way to think of this is trying to avoid a spaghetti pile of necklaces inside your jewellery box and keep rings and earrings separate. Friction from repeated rummaging for your favourite and rubbing metals and stones together will damage your collection over time. If you haven’t got a large jewellery box, a great idea is to try to keep the box your jewellery came in and keep your items beautifully brilliant inside them. A no brainier!
Cleaning
When cleaning your Antique Jewellery, do not use any abrasive cleaners or linted cloth to clean it. On a microscopic level use of these will cause minute scratches which will eventually dull the piece. Using certain polishes or cleaners may also be harmful to the metal as it could react depending on the contents of the cleaning fluid.
Cleaning Gold
Gold Jewellery can be cleaned fairly regularly and using a lint free cloth or a if you are prepared to go the extra mile, use a gold polishing cloth. Gently rub the gold using the cloth, taking extra care not to press too hard. Higher carat gold is softer and pressing with a ferocious force will cause abrasion or even worse bend or misshape the piece.
Cleaning Platinum
Platinum takes well to be being cleaned with soap and water and a soft bristle brush. A spare children’s toothbrush is a great item you might have lying around the house to do this with. Take care not to lose the ring under water! It should also be noted, Platinum Jewellery may develop a natural patina over time and the good news is this can be easily polished.
Cleaning Silver
Silver can be treated by cleaning with soapy water and ensuring it is dried thoroughly before storing. Wearing silver more often will help keep its natural shine and tarnish free for longer.
Cleaning Diamonds
Diamonds can be cleaned with a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water. Be extremely gentle when cleaning an antique diamond ring as you may start dislodge the stone if you slip or are pressing too hard. Make sure to rinse the diamond off to remove soapy residue before putting it back in storage.
Cleaning Gemstones
Gemstones tend to be a bit more tricky, but not too tricky, so don’t worry! Dirt, dust and hand cream residue can often get in the delicate gaps of your items, Gem stones with a rating of 7 and above on the Mohs Scale can cleaned using a soft brush and soapy water. Gemstones with a rating of 6 or less should be cleaned with a lint-free cloth, again using soapy water.
Precious stones can be damaged by prolonged exposure to sunlight, and may begin to fade over time if stored or worn out in the sun. Good news for you night owls!
Final Word
Hopefully these tips have given you a better understanding of caring for your jewellery. Now you can be safe in the knowledge your next Aardvark purchase will stay beautifully gleaming. If you have some tips of your own, please leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.