Here are a few simple tips to keep your jewelry looking it's best for a long time. First, always buy the best quality that you can afford, some jewelry may seem to be a bargain, but on inspection may be poorly made. We are proud to that our jewelry comes from the finest sources all over the world. It doesn't make it to our showcases until we have carefully inspected each and every piece.
Protection
Always protect your jewelry from sharp blows, scratching, chemicals, sunlight and heat/cold. Ideally, store your jewellery in a soft lined box or pouch. Try to keep pieces apart, so that they don't rub together or tangle up.
Gold, Platinum & Silver
Gold, silver, and platinum score only 2 to 4 on the Moh's scale of hardness, sand is 7 on the Mohs scale, which means your precious metal is softer than sand and can be easily scratched.
Sterling silver will polish up by rubbing or buffing it with a soft cotton cloth or a Sunshine Cloth. If you store silver in plastic bags with an interlocking seal, it will be less prone to tarnish.
Gemstones
Gem stone hardness is based on a standard called the Mohs scale. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone is. When the Mohs scale was developed, early gemologists tried rubbing one stone against another to see which stone caused scratching on another. Quartz (the stone that makes up sand) is rated at 7 on the Mohs scale, and that is why any gemstone with a rating of less than 7 is easily scratched (such as coral, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, and turquoise).
Also, some stones can be quite porous (such as opal, pearl, turquoise), that is why you shouldn't leave these kind of stones immersed in water for too long.
Stone Settings
Check your jewelry to ensure that stones mounted in rings are not loose or rattle - if that's the case, visit your local jeweler before it's too late - it's much cheaper to have the prongs repaired than to replace a gemstone. Don't forget that the prongs of a ring can and do wear down, If the prongs wear down too much or break, you can lose the stone. Prongs are easily "retipped" by most jewelers to keep the stone secure.
Beads
If you have beaded necklaces such as gemstone, or pearls, store them flat, preferably in a silk pouch. If the string breaks, let a professional jeweler restring them for you. If you are considering buying expensive beaded jewelry look for beads are a knotted between each bead, so that if the string breaks you won't loose so many beads!