Pearl Care and Restringing
As recommended by the Cultured Pearl Information Center: Cultured pearls are more delicate than any other gemstone or precious metal and require special care to ensure that they will remain clean, bright and lustrous for generations to come. Cosmetics, perfume and hairspray all contain chemicals that may dull the luster of a pearl if subject to heavy and prolonged exposure.
*Pearls should be put on after the application of makeup, perfume and hairspray. It is always preferable to wipe down your pearls every week with a soft, moist cloth to remove any traces of these harmful elements.
*Cultured pearls should be kept away from hard or sharp jewellery that can scratch them. Pearls are best stored in a soft cloth pouch or a separately lined compartment of a jewellery box.
*Body oils, cosmetics and daily wear can weaken the silk thread on which your pearls are strung. If your pearls are worn often, it is best to have them re-strung at least once a year so they don’t break, making sure that there is an individual knot in between each pearl.
A good indicator that your pearls are due to be restrung is when the pearl can be moved back and forth between the knots. Our goldsmith is trained and highly skilled at pearl re-stringing so your pearls will not leave the premises. Not sure if your heirloom pearls you received are genuine? We will gladly identify if your pearls are genuine at no charge.
Sterling Silver Cleaning
Sterling silver does tarnish. Sometimes sterling silver jewellery is made natural but some silver jewellery has a rhodium plating or anti tarnish finish added on top to slow tarnishing.
When your silver jewellery starts to tarnish we recommend a silver cleaner such as Connoisseurs. Jewellery care products are available for purchase at Sapphires. Apply the silver cleaner with a soft brush avoiding contact with any gemstones. If there are no stones in your silver, simply dip quickly and always rinse with water and pat dry. Use a polishing cloth for extra gleam on items with a lot of smooth surface area. Do not leave your silver jewellery sitting in the cleaner thinking it will become more clean… this could actually damage the finish.
If you can’t get it clean, don’t panic. You can bring it in and one of our professional goldsmiths can polish it to it’s former beauty.
Gold with Gemstones
Keeping your gemstone and diamond jewellery clean on a regular basis with a cleaner such as Connoisseurs, available in store, is a good practice.
We recommend having your jewellery professionally cleaned and inspected twice a year to check for claws that may have worn down, cracking to claws or the gold and especially to check for loosened stones. We offer this service complimentary and you’ll love how bright we get your jewellery with our professional ultrasonic.
Some gemstones such as Pearls, Opals, Emeralds, Ammolite and Tanzanite require special attention and do not like extreme temperatures or chemicals found in most cleaners. Connoisseurs brand cleaning solutions are available for Delicate stones.
