CARE FOR YOUR JEWELLERY

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 3

CARE FOR YOUR JEWELLERY

Jewellers are constantly amazed that otherwise fastidious women will wear rings caked with soap, into which tiny particles of dust and dirt have settled, gradually forming a film which will dull the gleam of any jewellery.

It takes only a matter of minutes to keep jewellery sparkling clean. Pearls and amber need to be kept apart from other jewellery as their surfaces are easily scratched. All that is needed to keep amber clean and in good condition is careful polishing with a soft cloth. If it has been so neglected that it has become encrusted, a paste made of fine pumice powder mixed with water can be used to clean the surface, with a final polishing with a soft clean cloth. Coral, Cornelian and Papis Luzuli are all cleaned by a careful washing in warm, soapy water. Rinse, dry and polish with ehamois leather. In costume jewellery, stones are usually pasted in. Putting them in very hot water might dissolve the paste. Soap and luke-warm water is the rule here. An old tooth brush is useful in removing dirt from cracks of elaborate pieces, but beware of loosening the stones. The beauty of diamond; and precious gemstones depends on the freedom of light refraction through the stone. This can be noticeably dimmed if the underside of the gem is not completely clean. Soapsuds can be removed by careful brushing with a small hog’s hair brush dipped in surgical spirit The backs of the gems and the setting should be most carefully cleaned with this before careful washing in hot water. Dry the jewels carefully with a soft, dry cloth. A complexion brush is ideal for drying all the comers of the setting. No attempt should be made to clean the setting by prodding at it with a pointed im-

plement. It is a sure way of loosening or damaging the stone and its setting. Emeralds should be treated with just a little more care and attention than the other gems. They can chip or become scratched if knocked against another hard surface.

Enamelled jewellery should be cleaned by dipping in a mild solution of pure soapsuds and hot water to which a few drops of ammonia have been added. Polish with a very soft cloth.

Gold jewellery needs a wash in warm, soapy lather, and should be dried on a soft cloth and polished with a chamois leather.

The best cleaning for jade is with a black emery or graphite. Marcasite should not be washed. All that is needed is to rub it with a soft brush and finish off with a gentle polishing with the chamois leather. DO NOT WASH

Opals and turquoise stones are somewhat porous and, if immersed in water, are likely to absorb the moisture and tend to crack or become discoloured. Use a light-weight oil, as for mother-of-pearl. Pearls should not be washed, as the surface is absorbent Any film that clings to pearls should be removed by wiping over gently with a chamois leather. It is most important to keep pearls away from scent and to keep them in a box of their own.

Silver jewellery, if badly tarnished, can be dipped in a silver-dip solution, left for about 10 seconds, rinsed in hot water and then dried with the specially impregnated cloth which accompanies the solution. If untarnished but dulled, just clean as you would gold jewellery. Whatever the jewellery, it should have a regular examination by a jeweller to check on settings, clasps and threading. If dirt has been allowed to accumulate to any degree the jeweller can give it special treatment which will remove the dirt without harming the gem or its setting.