Most damage to jewellery at home is ordinary. Perfume, a crowded box, a sink, a thread that was already tired. The care is ordinary too.
Where it sleeps
Store pieces so they do not scrape each other. A diamond will mark a gold surface and scratch a softer stone such as pearl, opal or coral. A soft pouch for each delicate piece is enough. Do not leave a strand in a knot. Do not hang a heavy pendant on a thin chain overnight if the clasp is already loose. Rubber bands belong nowhere near silver. Sulphur in the rubber darkens it.
Heat and steam from a kitchen, and the chemicals in a swimming pool, are harder on some stones and on plated jewellery than on plain gold. Take set jewellery off for that work when you can.
Perfume and cream
Put perfume, hairspray and cream on first. Let them dry. Then put the jewellery on. Alcohols and oils creep under a setting and behind a pearl, where you will not see them until the surface is dull. This is a habit, not a product to buy.
Cleaning is not one method
A soft dry cloth is safe for almost everything, and it is the right daily clean. Warm water and a drop of mild soap suit many plain gold and diamond pieces, if the stone is not porous and not glued. Pearl, coral, turquoise, emerald with obvious fissures, and anything the seller told you is treated or oiled, should not be soaked. When you do not know, do not soak. Wipe, and ask the shop that sold it.
Ultrasonic cleaners and steam are workshop tools. They are the wrong surprise for a fractured emerald, a pearl, or an opal. A home machine is not a kindness just because it bubbles.
When to bring it back
A loose stone clicks or turns. A clasp opens when it should not. A string shows white thread at a knot. Those are the moments to stop wearing the piece. Tightening a claw is a small job before a loss, and a sad job after. Weight, fineness and any certificate stay the same. Only the setting needed a minute of work.
SGJ Journal · 4/10/2026
