Jewellery
Care Guide
A well-made piece can stay in the family longer than almost anything else you own — the secret is not precious, it is regular. This guide covers the three rituals that keep metal and stone at their best: a gentle clean at home, a professional service once a year, and the good sense to take a ring off when you garden.
Congratulations — you have chosen a piece that can last a lifetime, and then some. Precious metal is remarkably tough, but it is not indestructible; settings loosen, surfaces dull, and a build-up of everyday grime quietly erodes the shine you bought it for. The good news is that keeping jewellery pristine takes only a few minutes of attention, and a once-a-year check at the workshop.
Cleaning at Home
A clean ring catches the light in a way a dirty one cannot. Soap film, skin oils, and traces of hand cream collect under stones and in crevices, dulling even the brightest diamond. Every one to two weeks, take five minutes to refresh your pieces using nothing more than warm water, washing-up liquid, and a soft toothbrush.
- Fill a mug with boiling water and a small amount of dish soap, then let it cool to warm.
- Set an old (or cheap new) soft-bristled toothbrush aside for this \u2014 it should never touch anything else.
- Drop the jewellery into the mug and leave to soak for five minutes.
- Lift it out, add a little more soap to the brush, and scrub vigorously all over for thirty seconds \u2014 front, back, sides, and under the setting.
- Rinse under warm running water, then let it air-dry on a soft cloth.
Professional Servicing
With regular wear, jewellery gets knocked and snagged in ways you will never notice at the time. Over months, those small impacts loosen settings — often slowly enough that a stone can work its way free before anyone realises. A service every six to twelve months is the single most effective thing you can do to prevent loss.
When you bring a piece in for servicing, our jeweller will:
- Professionally clean it in an ultrasonic bath and steam cleaner \u2014 reaching places no toothbrush can.
- Check the piece for damage, wear, and any cracks in the shank or shoulders; if repair out of warranty is needed we quote before any work.
- Tighten every claw, grain, and bezel so each stone is secure.
- Repolish the metal professionally, restoring the original mirror finish.
- Return it in presentation condition.
Settings loosen long before they fail. A regular service catches the slip before it becomes a loss.
Our service is £45 per piece. You are welcome to take work to any reputable jeweller for the same attention, just bear in mind, any third party work will void our warranty. For customers happy to travel, simply book an appointment to drop off. You can also post to us with full insurance via Royal Mail Special Delivery or the courier of your choice. If you need postage advice, please feel free to get in touch.
When to Set It Aside
Precious metal is tougher than it looks, but a few everyday habits quietly wear it down. None of these ruin a ring overnight — but over years, they are the difference between a piece that ages gracefully and one that needs replating, rebuilding, or refinishing earlier than it should. For anything on this list, slip the piece off first.
Hands-on work
Gardening, DIY, painting, and anything that asks a lot of your hands. Grit scratches the metal, tools bend the shank, and solvents strip the finish.
Food preparation
Dough, grease, and acidic foods (citrus, vinegar, tomatoes) work their way into crevices behind stones and, over time, etch softer metals.
Creams & cosmetics
Moisturiser, perfume, makeup, and household cleaning chemicals dull stones and erode plating \u2014 put rings on last, after the rest of your routine.
Sleeping
Rings catch on bedsheets and hair, and bands can deform overnight under the weight of a sleeping hand. A bedside dish is all it takes.
Sport & swimming
Impact bends prongs and misshapes bands. Chlorine and salt water both corrode precious metals \u2014 and cold water shrinks fingers, which is how rings go missing in the sea.
Insurance & Warranty
Our warranty covers manufacturing faults, not accidents. For loss, theft, or damage outside of normal wear — the sorts of things that tend to happen despite your best efforts — insurance is the right safety net. Most home contents policies will cover jewellery either automatically or with a small add-on, and specialist jewellery insurers offer cover that follows the piece off-property too.
Key Takeaways
Little and often wins — a five-minute clean every week or two prevents the build-up that dulls stones and erodes metal.
Service once a year — a professional check catches loose settings before a stone is lost.
Take it off for the rough bits — gardening, DIY, sport, swimming, sleeping: jewellery lives longer when it sits those out.
Cosmetics come first — cream, perfume, and makeup all wear jewellery down. Put rings on last.
Insure what matters — our warranty covers manufacture, not misfortune. A home contents add-on or specialist cover fills the gap.