How to care for your BB Jewellery

The claws (prongs) of your ring are worn

Wear and tear can happen to the best of us, and jewellery is no exception.

It seems logical, but surprisingly, many people pick up their brand-new jewellery and never bring it back for a service and a check by the jeweller. Remember this analogy; you wouldn’t buy a new car and not service it regularly, right? Your precious diamond ring is another important purchase that requires regular upkeep. Over time the claws wear down and become thin. You may have unintentionally bumped your ring with everyday wear and the setting has moved from its alignment. You won’t even notice if a claw has become loose until you have already lost your diamond.

A general maintenance check is recommend every 12 months. Some delicate, finer, or older pieces will need more regular inspections at least every 6 months. If you’re not sure, it’s always best to drop by for a free maintenance assessment. It only takes about ten minutes and will save you the heartache in the long run.

Remember, it is much more cost-effective to tighten loose claws, re-tip and repair worn-down claws rather than to replace your missing diamond. By upkeeping this small process, you can help extend your piece’s life by catching small issues before they become big ones.

Tarnished metals and dull diamonds

As you go about your daily activities, little molecules of dirt, oils in your skin, hand lotions, perfumes, hand sanitisers and much more get trapped in and around your jewellery. This leads to diamonds and other precious stones left with no sparkle along with worn out looking gold.

Where you can, remove your jewellery; before washing up, before sanitizing, apply perfume before wearing your jewellery and avoid sunscreen and hand moisturisers on your jewellery. Avoid wearing your jewellery whilst swimming or bathing, performing sports/gym or heavy-duty activities. Exposure to common everyday household chemicals, like ammonia or bleach, can damage both metals and gemstones. Simple longevity hacks extend the lifespan of your jewllery. Getting professional cleaning performed by a jeweller can revive your diamonds and make your precious pieces shine like new again.

When not in use, store your jewellery in a box such as the original packaging to avoid damage to the item. When storing your jewellery for long periods of time between wear, store each piece individually in small zip-lock bags sealed tightly, removing as much ‘still’ air as possible. This will help lessen any natural tarnishing processes.

DIY Jewellery cleaning at home

Getting your jewellery cleaned by a professional is your ultimate guarantee in terms of an efficient professional clean. However, you can still clean your diamond ring and jewellery regularly at home in between visits. The easiest and the most convenient way to clean at home is to use the softest toothbrush you can find. Fill a cup with warm water adding a dash or two of dishwashing liquid to it. Using a soft toothbrush gently clean your jewellery. Especially the spot underneath the diamond – give it a good but gentle brush. Depending on how dirty it is, it might take from 10-40 seconds of brushing.

Avoid acidic chemicals, toothpaste, alcohol and other harsh products on your jewellery. Old techniques such as these damage your gold and the precious stones in the jewellery. Most of the time the damage is irreparable. It leaves tiny scratches on gemstones and will prematurely wear down your gold over time.

Certain chemicals will eat away at your softer gemstones like opal, pearl, and emeralds.

In a nutshell the safest chemical you should use on your jewellery is plain old dishwashing detergent, warm water and a soft toothbrush OR a professional clean instore.

Wearing your jewellery in the shower or the pool/beach

Your diamond ring can handle a quick moment in the shower every so often. However, your gold and certain other precious stones don’t like it as much. Harsh chlorine and salt water can weaken and tarnish your metal. Shampoo, body wash and soap residue become trapped around the setting, when not rinsed off thoroughly is bad news for your gemstones. Chlorine can react with gold and cause microscopic bubbles to form inside each piece of jewellery making it brittle and weak. This happens when gold is exposed to chlorine in swimming pools, spas, or even in cleaning products.

Always best to take off your ring/jewellery before you shower or go for a swim. This is the best way for maximum protection and longevity.

Wearing different metals together

Metals that are worn together will wear each other down over time through friction and movement. This is especially true of different metal types and different karats of gold. 9K and 18K gold have different hardnesses and, if worn together, will wear down faster. The same goes with platinum and gold – this is a big no-no if you want your jewellery to last.

Keep your look like-for-like: if you have an 18ct gold pendant, make sure you match it with an 18ct gold chain. And never wear a platinum ring next to a gold one.

Plated Jewellery

Due to the delicate nature of gold plating, and the frequency of wear, pieces will need re-plating every so often to maintain their original appearance. Plating rubbing off or tarnishing is a natural part of wear and tear and is not considered a manufacturing fault. Different skin acidity levels and how the product is worn and stored will influence the life of plating in our products.

Let your jewellery be the first thing you take off and the last thing you put on when arriving/leaving home for the day. This applies for all jewellery maintenance needs not just plated jewellery.