Priceless Sparkle: A Guide to Jewelry Care and Craftsmanship
Regular and proper care is essential to preserve the shine and value of your precious jewelry.
- Perfume and Chemicals: Keep your jewelry away from perfume, hairspray, creams, lotions, cleaning products, and especially chemicals such as chlorine.
- Order of Use: Putting on your jewelry after completing your personal care routine minimizes chemical contact. At the end of the day, you should consider your jewelry the first accessory to remove.
- Physical Protection: It is recommended to remove your jewelry when exercising, cleaning, doing heavy work, or engaging in physical activities such as swimming (pool, sea). This protects against scratches, impacts, and loosening of stone settings.
Frequency: Diamond jewelry worn daily can be cleaned once a month, while jewelry worn infrequently can be cleaned every three months.
Methods for Cleaning Jewelry at Home
Warm Soapy Water Method (Safest Method): Fill a bowl with warm water and add a few drops of mild liquid dish soap to create a cleaning solution. Soak your jewelry in this solution for 15 to 20 minutes. This will help soften any accumulated dirt and grease residue. Gently brush your jewelry using a soft-bristled toothbrush (a baby toothbrush is ideal). Focus on hard-to-reach areas, especially the underside of stones and around the setting. Rinse the jewelry under warm water and make sure all the foam is removed. Gently dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth or microfiber cloth. You can use special jewelry polishing cloths to enhance the shine.
Baking soda and salt water method: Prepare a solution by mixing one cup of warm water, one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of baking soda. Jewelry should be soaked in this mixture for 10 minutes and then cleaned with a soft brush.
Professional Care: Professional care is recommended once a year. Ask your jeweler to check the integrity of the setting during cleaning. If your stone appears loose, it should be repaired immediately.
Proper Storage
To prevent scratches, store your jewelry in jewelry boxes with separate compartments or in soft fabric pouches. Keep jewelry away from moisture and direct sunlight.
Jewelry Craftsmanship Precious jewelry has been brought to life for centuries through high-level craftsmanship. Traditional handcrafting techniques inspired by both stone cutting techniques and cultural art forms are used.
Precious Stone Cutting Techniques (Lapidary) Lapidary, the art of cutting precious stones, is used to highlight the optical properties of the stone: Directional Cut: Area of Use: Used for transparent precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Characteristics: A technique used to create sharp, flat surfaces (facets) at symmetrical angles to best reflect light and increase brilliance (attractiveness). Cutting Types: Includes forms such as Brilliant, Baguette, Princess, and Marquise. Cabochon Cut: Application: It is generally applied to opaque (non-transparent) precious stones. Features: It is used to create smooth surfaces with round and simple lines such as oval, round, and teardrop shapes. Additional Applications: Intaglio or cameo stoneware applications are also included in this technique.