Van Bercken: caring for your precious jewellery
The best way to ensure your jewellery lasts for generations and always looks amazing is to take proper care of it. Here are some simple tips from our expert staff:
- Diamonds are the hardest natural substance on earth, but they are also fragile when mistreated. Some cuts of diamonds are very fine, and diamonds have a natural grain, like wood. If they are knocked heavily on the wrong angle, they can chip or break. Similarly, although very secure, platinum and gold claws can be bent or knocked out of place, causing your diamond or precious gem to become loose or dislodge. Therefore, do not wear your jewellery if you are performing manual labour, gardening, working out in the gym, or even washing dishes, and avoid metal on metal contact with your jewellery.
- Avoid exposing your jewellery to any household chemicals, like bleach, which can dull the brightness of diamonds or weaken the metal over time. Try to store your jewellery in an individual bag or case to avoid metal on metal contact (and scratches) with other jewellery.
- The best way to clean jewellery is to bring it into our store, where we will use specialised equipment (like our pure water ultrasonic for diamond jewellery) to clean and polish your precious pieces. Our workshop is also able to polish and plate your jewellery to restore its brand new appearance. In between visits a clean, soft-bristle toothbrush is great to clean dirty jewellery. Tiny bristles make it easy to access tough-to-reach nooks and crannies which accumulate dirt over time. Mix a few drops of mild detergent into warm (not hot) water. Let your jewellery sit in the solution for a few minutes, then gently scrub, rinse, then dry off with a soft cloth.
For any advice about your precious jewellery, you are always welcome to call, email or visit our friendly staff in store. Call us on (613) 9686 9592 or email info@vanbercken.com.au