OPAL CARE 

We use fine Ethiopian & Australian Opals in our jewelry. Opals are brittle stones, approximately as hard as glass. They should be worn with special attention, as they are extremely susceptible to damage if worn all the time. Opals should not get wet or be exposed to excessive heat or extreme changes in temperature. They should be stored in cool, dry areas in an air-tight bag or cloth. Take these pieces off when washing hands, showering, using soaps or lotions, and during exercise. For cleaning, we recommend using a soft linen cloth to polish the stones. It is not unusual to have to replace chipped, cracked, or missing opals throughout the lifetime of the jewelry.

PEARL CARE

Pearls are extremely fragile, and because of this, are both set and glued into their settings. They should be worn with special attention, as they are susceptible to damage if worn all the time. Pearl jewelry should not be worn under hot water (they can lose their luster). Pearls should not be exposed to excessive heat, and should be stored in cool, dry areas in a cloth or airtight bag. Take these pieces off when washing hands, showering, using soaps or lotions, and during exercise. If hit with any force, the pearls can break in their setting or become loose. It is not unusual to have to replace chipped, cracked, or missing pearls throughout the lifetime of the jewelry. For cleaning, we recommend using a soft linen cloth to polish the stones.

TURQUOISE CARE

Turquoise is a soft porous stone, and can be susceptible to damage, depending on the lifestyle of the wearer. The natural turquoise we use may change color over time — the amount of color change depends on the wearer and things like the amount of sunlight, heat exposure, if you are washing your hands with the jewelry on, and the type of soap you are using, and even the body chemistry of the wearer. Improper care can cause the color change of turquoise to happen more quickly. Because of the soft porosity of the stone, they are both set and glued into their settings. Turquoise jewelry should be worn with special attention, as it is susceptible to damage if worn improperly. It should not be worn under hot water, worn when cleaning or using soaps (even some hand soap), be exposed to excessive heat, and should be stored in cool, dry areas in tissue or a cloth. Take these pieces off when washing hands, showering, using soaps or lotions, and during exercise. It is not unusual to have to replace chipped, cracked, or missing turquoise throughout the lifetime of the jewelry. For cleaning, we recommend using a soft linen cloth to polish the stones.

MOISSANITE CARE

One of the advantages of Moissanite is that it does not have the same affinity towards grease and oil as natural diamonds. That being said, it is still a good idea to clean your jewelry about once a month to keep them sparkling as brilliantly as possible. We recommend cleaning your moissanite with warm water, a soft toothbrush, and dish soap. Gently scrub the top and underside of the stone with the brush, and rinse with water to remove residue over time. If you are planning on steam cleaning or using an ultrasonic cleaner, we highly recommend checking for loose stones prior to use. Like any fine piece of jewelry, we recommend taking off for strenuous exercise, or any activities in which you may be excessively using your hands.

Natural & Laboratory Diamonds

A simple plan to keep your diamond jewelry looking beautiful is to soak it in a gentle degreasing solution, such as water with a few drops of mild dish soap, once or twice a week. After you remove the diamond from the cleaning solution, use a soft, clean toothbrush to remove any remaining dirt. The toothbrush should be new and reserved exclusively for cleaning your jewelry. Use it to clean hard-to-reach places like the back of the diamond, which tends to collect the most oil and dirt.

Fragile settings, like older prongs in antique jewelry or a tension setting where the diamond is held in place by pressure from the shank, shouldn’t be vigorously scrubbed, so be gentle with the toothbrush. Then, just rinse your diamond jewelry with water and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. If you’re working over a sink, make sure to close the drain.

Chlorine bleach or abrasives (such as household cleansers or toothpaste) should never be used when cleaning diamond jewelry. Chemicals like chlorine can damage some of the metals used to alloy gold for diamond settings and abrasives can scratch gold and other metals.

Sometimes an ultrasonic cleaner is necessary to remove encrusted dirt on diamonds. By sending low frequency sound waves through a solution, ultrasonic cleaners cause vibrating fluid to remove accumulated dirt and grime. But they can also shake loose stones from their mountings or chip the girdles of diamonds that are set next to each other. Proceed cautiously if the diamond contains feathers or is included, and avoid ultrasonics if the diamond has been treated by fracture filling.

GEMSTONE CARE

We use many precious and semi-precious gemstones in our ready to wear designs as well as our custom jewelry. Each stone is unique and requires specific care processes. To help you understand more precisely we have attached a carousel of informative charts below created by the leaders in diamonds and gemstone grading, GIA. These charts give you the best information on how to properly care for your stones.