Over the next five weeks I’m going to give you tips on how to care for your jewellery. Lets begin with the most precious gem of all – diamonds.
Diamonds are able to withstand a lot of wear and tear (after all, they are created by immense pressure within the earth) however there are ways that you can prolong the life of your diamond set jewellery and ensure that they are always looking their best.
The most common misunderstanding is that diamonds are invincible. Way back in the 1800s these rare and valuable stones were in fact cut by hand, using an initial cut called a ‘cleave’ to begin the cutting process. This was done in a way that followed specific plains within the diamond – meaning that if a diamond is hit on the correct angle with sufficient force it will make an impact. For example, if you were to knock your ring quite heavily on a surface there is a possibility of chipping or damaging your stone.
Diamond jewellery needs to be checked regularly, not only the diamonds themselves but also the actual settings that they are held in. At York Jewellers we offer this lifetime service to our clients and it’s as simple as bringing your ring back into our store to have one of our expert craftsmen look over it, tighten the setting if necessary and polish the piece to restore it’s original beauty. We recommend doing this approximately every six to 12 months.
In between checks with your jeweller there are a few easy steps that you can follow to keep your ring looking its best.
1. Try and take your jewellery off during manual work; rigorous house cleaning, gardening, at the gym. Be sure to put them in a safe place! It’s ideal to have one secure spot that you always use so that you avoid losing them!
2. Whenever your ring is looking a little worse for wear make up a simple solution of hot water and dishwashing liquid to clean it with. Immerse the ring and use a soft toothbrush to gently clean under the diamonds and around the setting.
3. Use your fingernail to feel if the claws and metal holding your diamonds in is still intact. If in doubt take it to your trusted jeweller as soon as possible!
