Jewellery Care
At Larsen Jewellery, we pride ourselves on the workmanship that goes into every piece of custom-made jewellery. Our high standards are upheld through a very thorough quality control process during which several specific aspects are checked, including whether your gemstones are securely set.
Despite the high quality of our jewellery and our thorough quality control, your jewellery is not indestructible and needs to be treated with care. Even though metals and gemstones are relatively hard, they can be damaged. Gemstones are susceptible to chipping and abrasions and in rare cases even diamonds can chip or break if they are knocked.
To help you look after your jewellery we have summarised the most important care instructions below. By following these simple steps, you will prolong the lifespan of your jewellery and minimise the risk of damage.
Protecting your Jewellery
One of the easiest ways to protect your jewellery is by removing it when engaging in sport, housework, gardening, cleaning, gym activities, swimming, or showering. These activities often involve repetitive impact with hard surfaces such as steel, which will abrade and distort the metal. As well as affecting the appearance, this will also shorten the life of your piece of jewellery. Use the box and protective pouch to store your jewellery in to protect it from being scratched or damaged by other jewellery.
Harsh chemicals such as chlorine, bleach and other household cleaning products can damage your fine jewellery by causing the finish and polish to deteriorate and will leave your precious stones lacklustre and dull. This can be avoided with regular cleaning. Other things to avoid are hairspray, nail polish remover and even excessive perspiration.
To care for pearls, wipe thoroughly with a soft cloth after each wear to remove skin oils, perfume residue etc.
Diamonds and gemstones can become loose over time due to wear and tear. If you notice any movement, please place the item in a bag or box and bring it in to us as soon as is convenient.
Cleaning your Jewellery at Home
All gemstones, from sapphires and other coloured stones to diamonds, will eventually require cleaning as a build-up of dust, creams and oils will adhere to them, making them appear dull. In most cases, this can easily be removed by using warm soapy water and a soft bristled brush (soft toothbrushes are ideal). It’s important to note that this is not a suitable cleaning method for porous gemstones and materials such as opals and pearls. These should just be wiped clean with a soft cloth or be taken to a jeweller to be professionally cleaned.
Use the brush to scrub in and around the gemstones to remove this residue, then rinse in warm water and dry with a tissue. Give the metal a polish with a soft cloth to remove any watermarks and your jewellery will be sparkly clean!
Storage and Safety
It’s everyone’s worst nightmare to lose your engagement ring. It’s unimaginable and that is why we are all so careful to make sure that the ring fits perfectly from the very beginning.
Most of us can relate to that moment of panic and dread when you think you have done the unimaginable and lost something really precious. Once the initial panic passes, relief sets in when you realise you have absent mindedly placed it somewhere.
If this sounds like you, then here are a few spots to check before you allow any real concern to set in:
- The Kitchen: If you’ve just been in the kitchen, it is likely you have routinely taken your rings off and left them somewhere near the sink.
- The Bathroom: Just as above, when showering or washing our hands, most of us take our rings off, so it’s a good idea to check these spots first.
- Your Bag: Some of us take our rings off when at the gym being cautious not to do any damage. Many of us also forget we put them there. It’s always a good idea to check all the pockets of your bag.
- The Bedside Table: Some of us sleep with our rings on, but many do not. Check your bedside table and around it to make sure your ring hasn’t fallen to the ground.
To avoid having numerous “I’ve lost my keys” moments with your engagement ring we suggest creating specific places where you routinely put your ring when you take it off.
If going to the gym, a protective pouch for your ring is ideal and when near the sink, either in the kitchen or bathroom, have a small dish you place your ring in. If taking your ring off before going to bed, a pouch or a dish on your bedside table is a good idea.
If you are one to place your jewellery in your jewellery box, we suggest putting your pieces into individual pouches to protect them from wearing against other jewellery, metals and gems.
Consider A Faux Ring
Engagement rings can cost a small fortune and have an even greater sentimental value. You may want to consider a faux ring for times such as when travelling to places where the theft risk is high.
Insurance
Investing in a beautiful piece of jewellery and taking the time to make sure you look after it, means it makes sense to also insure your ring. It would be awful to lose your ring or have it stolen and then have to fork out a significant amount for a replacement. Have a chat with your jeweller and ask if they can recommend a reputable insurance company who specialise in jewellery insurance.
Your ring has both sentimental and monetary value and is not something you want to lose but it can happen. We recommend purchasing insurance for your ring for the unlikely and unfortunate situation that your ring may go missing. Check if you can add it to an existing contents policy or look at options for insuring your engagement ring as an individual item in its own policy.
You would hate for anything to happen and find yourself unable to afford to replace your engagement ring. We suggest our clients investigate reputable insurance companies that insure jewellery. You may also consider including your engagement ring in your household contents insurance.
Annual Service
Larsen Jewellery offers a complimentary annual ultrasonic clean and inspection service for all our custom-made jewellery and Signature Larsen designs. As part of the inspection, we will check the setting of any gemstones to make sure that they are secure. Please click here for further details about our Annual Service.
Maintenance
Just like any other product, over the years your jewellery is likely to require some maintenance due to wear and tear. This may include a polish to remove scratches, rhodium plating of any white gold jewellery, or fixing claws that have been knocked or have worn thin. We can quote on any required maintenance or repairs if you bring your jewellery to one of our studios.
Guarantee
Larsen Jewellery provides a guarantee for custom-made items that covers any defect caused by faulty materials or workmanship. For full details please refer to our Term & Conditions.
