Diamonds Colored Gemstones Gold Platinum Silver Pearls Watches Care & Cleaning Fine jewelry is a precious possession that is designed and crafted to last a lifetime. Feel free to stop into our store for a complimentary checkup of your jewelry. Our jewelers will check for worn prongs, loose stones, worn mountings, and general wear and tear. When the checkup is finished, our jewelers will be happy to ultrasonically clean each piece free of charge. Please follow these simple guidelines for home care and cleaning of your fine jewelry. General Tips Store your jewelry in a clean dry place such as a fabric lined jewelry case. Many jewelry boxes are made with compartments and dividers to prevent items from scratching each other. A simple cleaning solution is easily made using liquid detergent, ammonia and water. Clean your jewelry using a soft bristle brush, gently scrub, rinse well and dry. Ultrasonic cleaning units are available for home use. There are many imitation ultrasonic cleaners which use common names like Uni-Sonic or Vibra-Sonic, these do very little to clean your items. A true ultrasonic cleaner uses high frequency sound waves which provide excellent cleaning agitation. Our $95.00 model is a perfect choice. Diamonds Diamond jewelry is very popular. Some pieces, such as engagement and wedding rings, are often worn 24 hours a day. While diamonds are very durable, gold or platinum prongs will wear in time which will require attention. We suggest that you visit our store for a complimentary checking and cleaning, while you wait, at least once a year. Diamonds, similar to a fine clean chandelier, need to have clean surfaces on both the top and bottom to provide its maximum fiery brilliance. Clean diamonds with the use of our jewelry cleaner, a solution of liquid detergent, ammonia and water or use an ultrasonic cleaner. Scrub gently with a soft bristle brush. Always rinse with warm water and dry after cleaning. Do not wear diamond jewelry when doing rough work. Gardening and any procedure using coarse items such as sand paper or steel wool for example will quickly scratch the metal which diffuses its shine and lessens the security of gemstones. Back to Top Colored Gemstones There are many different types of colored gemstones, some of which require specific care and cleaning procedures. It would be impossible to enumerate all of them in this space. However, there are some general care cleaning rules, which apply to all colored gemstone jewelry. When considering colored gemstones, the quality of the color is most important. For example fine Rubies are red not raspberry red or pinkish red. Color and sparkle are enhanced to its proper level when gemstone surfaces are free of dirt and oils. Gemstones may be cleaned with the use of our jewelry cleaner, a solution of liquid detergent, ammonia and water scrubbing gently with a soft bristle brush or use an ultrasonic cleaner*. Always rinse with warm water and dry after cleaning. *Some gemstones require special care and should only be cleaned with a soft bristle brush and a mild s olution of liquid detergent and water. Ultrasonic units should be avoided when cleaning Emerald or Tanzanite and when cleaning any gemstone that is secured with epoxy bond such as a pearl in most rings or pearl stud earrings. While Ruby, Sapphire and Alexandrite are very durable it may be prudent to choose when to wear fragile gemstones like emerald, opal, pearl and tanzanite. Many other gemstones such as Amethyst, Garnet, Topaz, Zircon and Aquamarine fall somewhere in between. Surfaces that become scratched and facet edges that become abraded over time may be repolished to a high gloss finish. Back to Top Gold Karat gold jewelry make up the majority of fine jewelry collections. Gold comes in many different styles and colors, but the care and cleaning procedure remains the same. Gold jewelry may loose its luster in time for one of two reasons, or both, the metal may have a film of dirt or oils on top or the metal may become scratched. Remove dirt and oils with the use of our jewelry cleaner, a solution of liquid detergent, ammonia and water scrubbing gently with a soft bristle brush or use an ultrasonic cleaner. If the metal is scratched you may use a traditional polishing cloth or a new product we sell called “Jewelry Wipes”. In the event of severe scratches the gold may buffed to a high luster in our store. Always rinse with warm water and dry after cleaning or re-polishing. Karat gold alloys may be affected by chlorine or bleach and frequent contact should be avoided. Back to Top Platinum Platinum is one of the most rare and durable precious metals. It is resistant to tarnishing and discoloration due to chlorine and other chemicals. Care for platinum in the same manner as you would gold by removing dirt and oils with the use of our jewelry cleaner, a solution of liquid detergent, ammonia and water scrubbing gently with a soft bristle brush or use an ultrasonic cleaner. Always rinse with warm water and dry after cleaning or repolishing. Back to Top Silver Sterling silver, like other precious metals, can oxidize with time. We sell a silver cleaner that will remove simple tarnish. Properly maintained silver jewelry improves and develops a lush patina. Treat you silver well, care for it in the same manner as you would gold and it will reward you with a long life and a lustrous look. Back to Top Cultured Pearls Cultured pearls are precious jewels and should be treated as such. They're also the products of living creatures. Cultured pearls are formed when an irritant is introduced into a mollusk. The mollusk secretes a substance called nacre, which covers the irritant and produces the pearl. Nacre gives pearls the rainbow of colors and luster that makes these gemstones so treasured, but its delicate nature also makes pearls particularly susceptible to damage. For this reason you should be extra careful with your cultured pearl jewelry: Apply cosmetics, hair sprays and perfume away from the area where the pearls will be worn. You can wash your pearl jewelry to remove any oils or harmful chemicals, simply soak in a mild soap and water solution, roll the pearls in your fingers or brush lightly with a soft bristle brush and rinse. Do not clean cultured pearls with any chemicals, abrasives or solvents. These substances can damage your pearls. Always lay cultured pearl strands flat to dry on an absorbent cloth. Hanging a strand may stretch the threads. Do not toss your cultured pearl jewelry carelessly into a purse, bag or jewel box. A pearl's surface is soft and can be scratched by hard metal edges or by the harder gemstones of other jewelry pieces. Place cultured pearls in a chamois bag or wrap them in tissue when putting them away. Cosmetics, perspiration, oils and ordinary wear weaken and stretch the threads on which the pearls are strung. Let us examine your pearls periodically, strands that are worn frequently will need restringing at some point in time. Back to Top Watches Watches need the same amount of attention as fine jewelry. Fine watches are sophisticated and precise pieces of equipment; the price often reflects the skilled workmanship that goes into a fine timepiece. In order to get the most satisfaction out of your watch, you should follow some simple care and cleaning guidelines. No matter how handy you are, don't attempt "do-it-yourself" watch repairs. Only an expert jeweler/watchmaker should be trusted to put your watch back into working condition. Give your watch a quick check on a regular basis, making sure that the strap or bracelet is securely attached to the watch face. A mechanical watch should be checked regularly by your jeweler/watchmaker or an authorized dealer and serviced according to the manufacturer's guidelines. Wind your watch in a clockwise direction, preferably about the same time each day. Remove the watch from your wrist when winding so as not to place undue pressure on the stem. Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately. Even a hairline crack can let dust and moisture into the time-keeping mechanism, threatening its accuracy. Unless the degree of water-resistance is clearly specified when you purchase your watch, do not wear it into the shower or pool, or on a moist wrist. Have your jeweler/watchmaker or an authorized watch dealer replace the battery in a quartz watch before it runs out. Dead batteries left in the watch can leak or corrode, ruining the timepiece. Do not attempt to change the battery in a watch yourself. If your watch is water-resistant, a water-resistance test should be performed after the battery has been replaced to ensure that water will not leak into and damage the watch. Batteries run for about two to three years. Those in some less expensive, multi-function digital watches have shorter lives, as little as six months. Using extra features such as a calculator or game can shorten battery life. Oils from your skin can build up on a watch. If your watch is water-resistant, you can give it a quick cleaning with a mixture of warm water and either a mild soap or a dish detergent. Dry the watch with a soft cloth after cleaning. If your watch has a strap made out of leather or another material, you should clean only the watch face and not the strap. If your watch is not water-resistant, or you're not sure, do not immerse it in water. Clean the piece with a slightly damp cloth and then dry. Back to Top