Jewelry Care Tips

Here are some helpful tips for keeping your jewelry clean and safe for many years.

  • Avoid Contact with Lotions, Perfume, and Cosmetics
    Always put on your jewelry last after applying these items as a finishing touch. Especially with PEARLS, put your pearls on last and take off pearls first.
     
  • General Cleaning and Water Exposure
    Most gemstone jewelry can accumulate grime and can easily be cleaned with a soft toothbrush and a mild detergent in lukewarm water. Some jewelry should never be submersed completely in water however, pearls that are strung on silk cord or doublet or triplet opals. Generally advised to avoid showering with jewelry on. Some stones should never ever be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner.

  • Avoiding Chemicals
    Avoid any exposure to chemicals such as household and commercial cleaners, chlorine, and vinegar.

  • Avoid Physical Damage
    Please avoid wearing jewelry doing any intense physical activities such as gardening or sports. Some stones and settings are soft and delicate, prongs especially can easily be damaged. Avoiding hard knocks against jewelry, which can cause stones to be permanently damaged or break or remove surface polish. Sweat and humidity can cause the tarnish process to speed up in silver.

  • Storing Your Jewelry
    We recommend laying your jewelry in a flat felt lined drawer or jewelry box when not in use. Chains especially should be lain flat, straight, untangled, and clasped. Jewelry ideally should not be touching each other to avoid scratches. Do not put jewelry in a big tangled heap or in one giant plastic bag, every piece of jewelry should have its own designated place or even better compartment. Flat pouches or boxes that are cotton filled/leather to store jewelry will work as well.

  • Caring for Pearls
    Pearls are the LAST finishing touch AFTER lotion, creams, makeup, perfume, and HAIRSPRAY. It is the first you take off when you are going to store them. Before storage wipe pearls with a SOFT CLOTH to clean pearls of perspiration and dirt/oil. Pearls outer nacre layer can be easily scratched by other sharp objects, always transport pearls in a pearl folder or designated jewelry travel pouch and fasten clasps and store lying flat avoiding other gemstone jewelry. Pearls strung on silk cord should be professionally restrung EVERY YEAR. Avoid high temperature exposure, such as a sauna or leaving it out in direct sunlight for a very long time, and NO ULTRASONIC CLEANER.

  • Caring for Opals
    Cleaning should be done with a very soft toothbrush or cloth and a mild detergent/soap in lukewarm water. Opals can crack if the climate/storage has zero humidity or exposed to very high temperatures. Store opals in soft padded cloth pouch and for longterm storage, a cotton ball soaked in few drops of water in a plastic bag. If opals are exposed to an arid/dry climate, place solid opals in lukewarm water for 15 minutes every year. Avoid strenuous physical activity while wearing to avoid chipping or breaking opals. DO NOT USE ULTRASONIC CLEANER

  • Caring for Other Soft Stones such as Amber, Coral, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, and Opaque Stones
    Wipe gently with a soft damp cloth or designated gentle cleaner. Please avoid most commercials cleaners for jewelry. Mostly soft stones, so definitely no physical activity while wearing. NO ULTRASONIC CLEANER

  • Caring for Emeralds
    Soft cloth in lukewarm water and mild detergent. NO ULTRASONIC CLEANER.

  • Caring for Silver Jewelry (Except Bliss Manufactured Items)
    Wipe with a cloth impregnated with cleaning agent to remove tarnish avoid stones. Store silver jewelry in anti tarnish bags. Bliss items that tarnish are covered by a lifetime guarantee, Bliss items have an anti tarnish coating applied and can be reapplied by Bliss.

  • Caring for Gold and Diamond Jewelry
    Make a soapy degreasing solution of warm water with a few drops of detergent. Diamonds attract grease and oil, a property of the stone. Completely soak diamond and gold jewelry for 15 to 20 minutes, scrub gently with a soft brush, please make sure you get behind the stone setting, and dry. If using an ultrasonic cleaner, make sure no stones make a rattling sound and the setting or mounting is SECURE around the diamond(s). Also make sure there are not any large damaging inclusions such as large breaks or feathers or treatment such as fracture filling before placing in the ultrasonic cleaner.

  • Some other useful tips
    • Do not ever use toothpaste or abrasives to clean jewelry
    • Be gentle with all jewelry, avoid rubbing stones against any hard surfaces
    • Do not Tug or Pull on Your Chain, Pendant, or Necklace
    • Do not Swim with your gold or silver jewelry in a chlorinated pool.  This can damage some alloys.
    • Avoid hard knocks or blows, even a diamond, the hardest stone on earth, could be subject to damage.
    • However, diamonds are considered good for everyday jewelry and especially engagement rings worn daily. It's because diamonds are the hardest stone on earth, on the Moh's Hardness Scale it is a 10. Only diamond can scratch diamond. It coordinates and goes beautifully with anything and everything.
    • Some jewelry is better suited for special occasions, such as an Opal or Emerald ring. Softer stones or stones subject to or more likely to damage or cleave, because of often the property of the stone, make better pendants and earrings because they are less likely to be exposed to physical damage than rings.
    • Enjoy your jewelry it is meant to be worn, loved, and lived in. However, always remember to treat your jewelry kindly and gently. Take care of it properly, and it will last for many years and for the next generation.