Retaining your diamond's brilliance.

Caring for diamonds is best not left to trial and error. Knowing what and what not to do ensures the lasting brilliance of your diamond jewellery.

1. Because diamonds can easily scratch other jewellery, even other diamonds, the best single piece of advice is to keep your diamond jewellery in a fabric lined jewellery case with dividers.

2. It's not wise to wear a diamond ring when doing rough work. It's hard but it can be chipped.

3. Chlorine bleach can pit and discolour the mounting. Lotions, powders, soaps and even your natural skin oils can put a film on diamonds that cut down their brilliance. But this can be easily rectified. It's simply a matter of cleaning your diamonds fairly regularly.

4. There are commercial jewellery cleaners and ultrasonic ones that clean with a high frequency turbulence. Your Showcase jeweller carries them.

5. It's smart to have your Showcase jeweller check wear and tear on the mounting at least once a year.

6. As fully qualified jewellers and registered valuers, your Showcase jeweller is able to carry out valuations for insurance. When you leave your jewellery with us we can also check its condition and advise you of any repairs that may be necessary to restore its full beauty and value.

Maintaining your gem's colourful sparkle.

Retaining the finish and value of your gemstone jewellery is quite easy. It's simply a matter of knowing what and what not to do.

1. The best single piece of advise we can give you is to wipe your precious stone jewellery with a clean, soft damp cloth after wearing. This little habit will ensure that your jewellery is always looking its best.

2. When your gemstone jewellery is not being worn, storage in a soft pouch is recommended.

3. There are some things to avoid. Salt water and harsh chemicals such as chlorine bleach or detergents can cause damage. The chemicals erode the finish and polish of the gems leaving them dull. Hairspray, perfume and perspiration can also cause dullness if not regularly cleaned off.

4. Because gemstones differ so much, so do their cleaning procedures. It really is best to have your Showcase jeweller advise you on them individually. We can also check its condition and advise you of any repairs that may be necessary to restore its full beauty and value. It's certainly the safest way to ensure you retain the value and sparkle of your treasured pieces.

Keeping your gold jewellery in mint condition.

Retaining the finish and value of your gold jewellery is quite easy. It's simply a matter of knowing what and what not to do.

1. To help protect against scratching, it's good practice to separate your gold jewellery in a compartmentalised jewellery box.

2. Because soap tends to cause a film that can make gold appear dull and dingy, it's worthwhile removing your jewellery when you shower or bathe.

3. The gold in most jewellery is an alloy. That is, it is a mixture of different metals. The inclusion of these other metals enable gold to be practical in every day usage. However because of these same inclusions, your jewellery can tarnish.This tarnishing can be caused by many things: perfume, after shave, fluoride in water or even the acidity in your skin. However this doesn't present you with a problem.
A soft jewellery polishing cloth with tarnish preventive will help you keep the gold pieces lustrous and shining. These solutions and cloth are available through your showcase jeweller.

Warning!
The procedures for cleaning gold should not be used if your gold jewellery contains any precious stones, pearls or opals. To clean these requires careful and expert attention. Your Showcase jeweller has the necessary expertise and specialised equipment.

Retaining the fire in your opals.
Opal is softer than most popular gemstones, so it does need a little extra thought and care.

1. Avoid all ultrasonic cleaners and steamers, bleach, chemicals and other jewellery cleaners. You can, however, safely wash solid opal in plain warm water or soapy water. But no detergent. The above procedure should not be used if your opal is a doublet or triple. The glue that holds the layers together reacts to exposure to water, dulling the appearance as the layers separate.

2. Store each piece of your opal jewellery in its own padded cloth bag. Opals should not be exposed to high heat, direct sun, bright or hot lights, low humidity bank vaults and other similar temperature extremes.

3. It is a myth that storing an opal in water or oiling it will heal existing cracks. Oil will actually discolour your opal

Maintaining the lustre and colour of your pearls.
Retaining the lustre and value of your pearl jewellery is not a difficult task. It's simply a matter of knowing what and what not to do.

1. Pearls keep their original lustre better if given a soft wipe after wear. This is especially so in Summer as perspiration can affect them.

2. Because they can be scratched, it's a good idea to protect them in a chamois bag or wrapped separately, so your other jewellery doesn't harm them.

3. Some people find that their pearls change colour. Generally speaking this is because they have been worn when in the bath or working in the kitchen or laundry. Most cleaning agents contain bleach, so it's not surprising that pearls can lose colour under these circumstances.

4. While pearls can be washed in a solution of mild soap and water, particular care has to be taken because of the silk thread. It really is best if pearls are cleaned professionally. Your Showcase jeweller can assist.

5. If you have a string of pearls it's wise to often check if the string is loose or wearing thin. Large strands of expensive pearls should be knotted between each pearl. This ensures that they don't all run loose if the silk strand breaks. Re-stringing should be carried out yearly. Simply take them to your Showcase jeweller. He or she is a professional and can offer reliable, expert advice as well as skilled craftsmanship.

Keeping silver bright and shiny.
As with most precious metals, in time silver will oxidize. Properly maintained silver actually improves with age. It develops a lush patina when treated well.

1. Simply clean with a mild soap and water solution. Pat dry with a soft cloth. If dirt is more stubborn a silver cleaner is appropriate. But don't rub silver with anything other than a polishing cloth or fine piece of felt. Tissue paper or paper towels will cause scratches.

2. Like other jewellery, avoid wearing silver in chlorinated water as this will discolour it.

3. Store your silver jewellery in a cool, dry, dark place. A tarnish preventative bag is a good idea, or wrapped individually in a soft piece of felt or cloth.

4. As air and light cause silver to tarnish, the less of them the better when stored.