CARE OF JEWELLERY

HANDLING
Although jewellery is designed for wear, of course, great care should be taken in the wearing and handling of antique pieces.   Often 19th century jewellery is made from hollow gold, which is very easily damaged.  It is important not to allow pieces to be knocked against hard surfaces because it is virtually impossible to remove dents or repair 'bruised' hollow gold.  The settings of gem-set pieces, especially claws, do become fragile, and if damaged can result in stones dropping out.   Ingredients in perfume, hair spray and make up can tarnish metal or discolour natural materials such as pearls.  Even skin acid can sometimes discolour turquoise.  It is important that jewellery is not over exposed to these chemical substances.  Pieces worn everyday will, like clothing, eventually show signs of wear and tear.  

STORAGE
Proper storage can prolong the life of a jewel and maintain its good condition.  It is a mistake to heap any jewellery, let alone antique jewellery together loosely in a box.  It is best to keep items separately in the boxes or felt pouches they were originally supplied in, if possible. Pearls should always be kept separately from gemstones because the metal claws of gem settings can scratch a pearl and ruin its surface lustre.  Keeping pearls in their own box or pouch will also protect them from harmful acids.

CLEANING
A little care and cleaning of your jewellery at home is not only worthwhile but rewarding — but please do not waste good gin! Any liquid or spirit that dissolves grease and dirt can be used in conjunction with a soft bristle toothbrush. Mix the spirit with whitening powder, working it into a stiff paste. Methylated Spirits is excellent for brightening metal. The powder should be brushed on to the jewellery and left to dry and then brushed off again. Various proprietary "Jewellery Care Kits", are available, which usually consist of a jar of special liquid, an immersible tray and a small stiff brush, and are ideal for cleaning jewellery at home, except, obviously, for foiled jewellery, which must never be allowed to get wet. For cleaning the setting of the latter, dry whitening powder brushed over the metal with a soft bristle toothbrush will suffice without damaging the foil in any way.  

FOILED JEWELLERY
Foiled jewellery should never be allowed to get wet, for if moisture gets behind the stone, the coloured, or silver, tinsel will discolour and the character of the brooch and the stones in it become dull and lifeless.  

SEED PEARL WORK
It is not fashionable today and very little remains in perfect condition since it is very fragile. Regrettably, if it does get broken, there are few jewellers capable or willing to take on this work.  

ENAMEL
Enamel is fragile and after all, only a form of glass, and therefore will chip, crack and scratch if it is allowed to be in contact with other stones. To touch up enamel is always a patchy job and will be noticeable to the trained eye. The alternative is to remove the enamel completely and start from scratch, but of course this is not practical with early jewellery, as its character will inevitably be changed.