JEWELLERY CARE

Sourced from all over the world, and created using the finest gemstones and precious metals, your Jo Kaminska jewellery requires a little care and attention to keep it looking its best. Dust, pollution and daily wear all conspire to cloud the brilliance of a gemstone and dull the surface of precious metals.

As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store it in a fabric lined jewellery box, taking care not to drop, bash or scratch.

ALWAYS remove your jewellery when applying perfume, lotions and potions, or even better, always put your jewellery on last when getting dressed.

CARE OF GOLD

Containing no oxides, gold is the only precious metal that will not tarnish. Having said this, it is a relatively soft metal and care should always be taken with your gold jewellery.

Generally, the higher the carat weight, the softer the metal; due to the alloys used in 9ct gold, it tends to be more resistant to scratching than 18ct or 24ct gold.

Gold should be cleaned regularly in order to maintain its beauty and patina. A soft, lint free cloth is an effective way to keep gold jewellery looking its best.

As a relatively delicate material, gold is particularly susceptible to damage from chlorine. Chlorine can permanently damage or discolour gold jewellery. For that reason, you should avoid wearing gold jewellery when using chlorine or bleach, or while in a pool or hot tub.

As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store in a jewellery box, taking care not to drop, bash or scratch.

CARE OF GOLD VERMEIL

Gold vermeil is a layer of gold over sterling silver, and requires a little care and attention. Always remove your gold vermeil jewellery when applying scent, lotions and potions, or even better, always put your jewellery on last when getting dressed.

Never wear your gold vermeil jewellery in the shower or when swimming. Chlorine, especially at high temperatures, can permanently damage or discolour your gold vermeil jewellery.

Gently clean your gold vermeil jewellery with a soft polishing cloth.

As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store in a jewellery box, taking care not to drop, or scratch.

CARE OF STERLING SILVER

As with most precious metals, sterling silver tarnishes; having said this, it is less likely to happen as quickly if regularly worn.

Clean your silver jewellery in warm soapy water, ensuring that it is rinsed thoroughly and dried before storing. Alternatively polish your silver jewellery with a soft cloth.

Like gold, silver is susceptible to damage by chlorine and you should avoid wearing silver jewellery when using chlorine or bleach.

As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store in a jewellery box, taking care not to drop, bash or scratch.

CARE OF GEMSTONES

Gemstone hardness is based on a standard called the Mohs scale, where the higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone; the lower the Mohs scale number, the more susceptible the stone is to scratching, chipping, and breaking. It is important to consider this when cleaning, wearing and storing your gemstone jewellery.

The build-up of hand cream, finger prints and general dirt is common amongst your most loved jewellery, and can easily be cleaned. As a rule of thumb, gemstones at 7 and above on the Mohs scale can be cleaned with warm water, a touch of mild detergent and a soft brush. For gemstones less than 7, swap the soft brush for a soft cloth.

Many gemstones are also susceptible to damage by chemicals. Examples include amethyst, ametrine, aquamarine, aventurine, beryl, citrine, kunzite, rose and smoky quartz.

Some gemstones such as opal, pearl and turquoise are fairly porous and should not be immersed in water for too long.

Particular care should be taken when cleaning your emerald jewellery. A widespread practice is to treat emeralds with some form of fine oil in order to disguise the very frequent appearance of flaws. For this reason, emeralds should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning device; as such treatment will usually empty any flaws which reach the surface of the stone of any oil content, with a disastrous effect on appearance.

CARE OF PEARLS

A unique phenomenon in nature and indispensable to every jewellery box, we believe that pearls warrant the utmost care that they need. As an organic material, pearls are much softer than most other gemstones and can be easily scratched. A little help is at hand with our following list of do's and don'ts:

DO

Wear your pearls. As an organic material they react well to the natural oils in your skin and it is the best way to maintain their lustre.

Apply your make up and scent PRIOR to putting your pearl jewellery on.

Put your pearls on last, and take them off first when undressing.

Wipe your pearls with a soft cloth after wearing, and occasionally wipe clean with mild soapy water. Allow the pearls to dry before putting them away. 

DON'T

Do not store your pearls with other jewellery as they can easily be scratched when metal or gemstones rub against them.

Do not store pearls in plastic bags, always store in the box or silk pouch that they should be supplied with.

Do not clean your pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner; the vibrations can shatter them, especially if the nacre is thin or cracked.

Do not use chemical cleaners; especially those containing ammonia and bleach, as this will destroy their lustre.

Do not expose to excessive heat; because they contain organic material and water, pearls can also crack if exposed to excessive dryness.

CARE OF DIAMONDS

While diamonds are extremely hard, they can still suffer chips and fractures from sharp blows.

It is possible to scratch a diamond with a diamond, so please take care when wearing and storing your diamond jewellery.

As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewellery and always store in a jewellery box, taking care to store diamonds separate from each other.

Clean your diamonds with warm soapy liquid and a soft toothbrush, rinsing the stone and setting afterwards to ensure no soapy residue.