Care for your Jewellery
Marcel of London jewellery and fashion accessories requires a little care and attention to keep it looking its best. Dust, pollution and daily wear all contribute to cloud the brilliance of the material use in the design. T Marcel of London, we use different types of unique and beautiful gemstones, precious / semi-precious stones, colourful beads, crystals and fine metals sourced from all over the world. Our beautiful jewellery and fashion accessories should be looked after with Tender Loving Care. We have put together a few guidelines for keeping your jewellery and accessories looking its best.
Your jewellery is best jewellery with care by making sure to remove them when bathing, perspiring, carrying out any physical work and playing active sports such as swimming. As you may not be aware, hot weather and excessive sweat can speed up the tarnishing process of your jewellery. At night time or before you go to bed, store your jewellery piece in their jewellery box.
Be aware that salt water, chlorine in swimming pools, soap, perfumes, personal products (skin and hair) and perspiration take their toll on all fine jewellery such as gemstones and pearls, precious or semi-precious metal (silver or vermeil) causing it to tarnish or erode respectively.
Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver is an alloy of silver and other metals, usually copper. It is 925 parts per thousand Silver with the remaining 75 parts being other metals. As pure silver is generally too soft for manufacturing into larger objects and for everyday wear, copper is generally used to give it strength while at the same time preserving the ductility of the metal and its beauty.
As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store it in a fabric lined jewellery box, taking care not to drop, bash or scratch the product.
As with most precious metals, sterling silver tarnishes and it is less likely to happen as quickly if regularly worn.
Clean your silver jewellery in warm soapy water, ensuring that it is rinsed thoroughly and dried before storing. Alternatively polish your silver jewellery with a soft cloth.
Like gold, silver is susceptible to damage by chlorine and you should avoid wearing silver jewellery when using chlorine, bleach and avoid swimming when wearing your jewellery piece.
Gold
Gold is the only precious metal that will not tarnish as it contains no oxides. It is a relatively soft metal and care should always be taken with your gold jewellery.
Generally, the higher the carat weight, the softer the metal; due to the alloys used in 9ct gold, it tends to be more resistant to scratching than 18ct or 24ct gold. This is why we recommend that you wear rings of a similar carat together, e.g. your wedding and engagement ring.
Gold should be cleaned regularly in order to maintain its beauty and patina. A soft, lint free cloth is an effective way to keep gold jewellery looking its best.
As a relatively delicate material, gold is particularly susceptible to damage from chlorine. Chlorine can permanently damage or discolour gold jewellery. For that reason, you should avoid wearing gold jewellery when using chlorine or bleach, or while in a pool or hot tub.
Gemstones
Gemstone hardness is based on a standard called the Mohs scale, where the higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone; conversely, the lower the Mohs scale number, the more susceptible the stone is to scratching, chipping, and breaking. It is important to consider this when cleaning, wearing and storing your gemstone jewellery.
The build-up of hand cream, fingerprints and general dirt is common amongst your most loved jewellery, and can easily be cleaned. As a rule of thumb, gemstones at 7 and above on the Mohs scale can be cleaned with warm water, a touch of mild detergent and a soft brush. For gemstones less than 7, swap the soft brush for a soft cloth.
Many gemstones are also susceptible to damage by chemicals, water and even sunlight, where prolonged exposure to the latter may cause them to become paler. Examples include amethyst, ametrine, aquamarine, aventurine, beryl, citrine, kunzite, rose and smoky quartz.
Some gemstones such as opal, pearl and turquoise are fairly porous and should not be immersed in water for too long.
Particular care should be taken when cleaning your emerald jewellery. A widespread practice is to treat emeralds with some form of fine oil in order to disguise the very frequent appearance of flaws. For this reason, emeralds should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning device; as such treatment will usually empty any flaws which reach the surface of the stone of any oil content, with a disastrous effect on appearance.
Pearls
We believe that pearls warrant the utmost care that they need being a unique phenomenon in nature and indispensable to every jewellery box. As an organic material, pearls are much softer than most other gemstones and can be easily scratched. Following list of do’s and don’ts:
Do this
Do wear your pearls. As an organic material they react well to the natural oils in your skin and it is the best way to maintain their lustre.
Do apply your makeup and scent before putting your pearl jewellery on.
Do put your pearls on last, and take them off first when undressing.
Do wipe your pearls with a soft cloth after wearing, and occasionally wipe clean with mild soapy water. Allow the pearls to dry before putting them away.
Do have your pearl necklace re-strung every few years; to prevent abrasion, most jewellers knot pearls on silk thread which wears in time.
Don’t do this
Do not store your pearls with other jewellery as they can easily be scratched when metal or gemstones rub against them.
Do not store pearls in plastic bags, always store in the box or silk pouch that they should be supplied with.
Do not clean your pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner; the vibrations can shatter them, especially if the nacre is thin or cracked.
Do not use chemical cleaners; especially those containing ammonia and bleach, as this will destroy their lustre.
Do not expose to excessive heat; because they contain organic material and water, pearls can also crack if exposed to excessive dryness.
Diamonds
Diamond is one of the oldest minerals in the universe, forming at a depth of 90 to 120 miles beneath the earth’s surface, at temperatures above 1200 degrees Celsius. It is pure carbon that is why it is very hard.
While diamonds are extremely hard, they can still suffer chips and fractures from sharp blows.
It is possible to scratch a diamond with a diamond, so please take care when wearing and storing your diamond jewellery.
As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store in a jewellery box, taking care to store diamonds separate from each other.
Clean your diamonds with warm soapy liquid and a soft toothbrush, rinsing the stone and setting afterwards to ensure no soapy residue.
Platinum
A hardwearing metal, platinum is suitable to be worn every day; good care should still be taken of it to prevent scratches. When scratched, platinum is unique in that the metal is only displaced, not lost.
Platinum jewellery can be cleaned with a mild soapy water solution and a soft bristle brush.
Over time platinum jewellery develops a natural patina which can be easily polished.
As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store in a jewellery box, taking care not to drop, bash or scratch.
Below is how to look after your jewellery
How to look after your jewellery
- Always apply make-up or body cream before putting on jewellery. This is because make-up or body cream contain chemicals that may react and affect your jewellery
- Avoid spraying perfume or hairspray directly onto your jewellery a this can damage the jewellery
- Protect all jewellery from scratches, sharp blows, chemicals, extreme temperatures, and sunlight.
- Gently wipe each piece of jewellery clean of make up and skin oils with a 100% cotton cloth after use.
- Store your jewellery separately so as to avoid scratch other jewellery.
- Remove jewellery when doing household tasks such as gardening, cleaning, household repairs or other strenuous activities.
- Do not store jewellery next to heating vents, window sills, or in the car.
- Store jewellery away from sunlight. The sun may fade some gemstones.
- Do not wear jewellery while in a swimming pool, hot tub or bathing. The chlorine in the water can damage various gemstones and metals including gold.
- Always store bead necklaces strung on silk flat because silk stretches over time.
- Frequent cleaning of your jewellery is recommended to maintain its true beauty.
- Wipe your jewellery carefully with a soft cloth to keep it clean and enjoy!
How to clean your jewellery
Commercial Silver/Gold Cleaners
Read the label, and if in doubt, do not use a chemical cleaner. Some gemstones that cannot be placed in commercial cleaners are: pearls, lapis lazuli, malachite, opals, coral and turquoise.
Jewellery Polishing Cloths
Use lightly to restore lustre. Do not press hard when polishing gold filled or plated jewellery or you will damage the surface.
Easy Homemade Solutions
The best way to clean in places where a polishing cloth can’t reach is simple. To keep your jewellery in top condition, clean using lukewarm water and a small amount of mild washing up liquid.
Tarnish
You can prevent tarnishing by storing your jewellery in a resealable plastic bag with anti tarnish paper. Pearls and opals, however, should be stored in fabric instead of plastic because they need to “breathe”.