The majority of jewellery damage occurs gradually and not in a single catastrophic event – a prong becomes thin, a stone is loosened after a thousand little knocks, a pearl is dulled by contact with perfume over the years. The trouble is that none of it looks serious until it suddenly is. By the time you notice a wobbling stone or a worn setting, the damage has usually been building for months. Your pieces deserve too much to be left unattended.
The “Last On, First Off” Rule
Start with one simple habit change: put your jewellery on last. After the perfume, the moisturiser, the hairspray – then the jewels. It sounds fussy, but there’s a real reason for it. Most of those products contain chemicals that cling to metal and work their way into porous stones like pearls and turquoise.
Porosity is what makes organic gems so vulnerable. Unlike a sapphire or diamond, which has a tight crystalline structure, something like a pearl or turquoise is essentially drinking in whatever it touches. That damage adds up quietly and, more often than not, can’t be undone.
The same logic applies at night – take your jewellery off first, before you reach for the face wash or the night cream. Sweat, skin oils, and makeup all settle into settings over time and leave a dullness that no amount of polishing can fully fix. Get this one habit right and you’ll do more for your pieces than any cleaning routine ever could.
Cleaning By Gemstne Type
There isn’t one way to clean jewellery correctly. And that’s the mistake people often make!
Loose stones such as diamonds and sapphires – which are high on the Mohs scale of hardness – do well with a little mild dish soap. Use a soft brush to get around the setting, rinse well, and dry. These stones are fine with water, as well as a little agitation.
Opals, emeralds, and pearls are a different story. Do NOT submerge them. A gentle wipe with a damp cloth should do it, then dry immediately. Ultrasonic cleaners are great and safe for diamonds, since the high-frequency vibration can dislodge dirt. However, it can also fracture softer stones and shake loose the adhesives used with some settings. If you’re not sure, just assume the piece is too delicate for the machine.
A quick rub with a dry cloth after each wear can also help knock out the oils before they accumulate. It takes ten seconds – and really counts.
The Monthly Shake Test
Once a month, hold a piece close to your ear and tap it gently. You’re listening for any faint rattle or movement. That sound – if you hear it – means a stone has shifted in its setting and needs immediate attention.
This works because of how settings are designed. Prong tension holds stones in place through precise contact pressure. When a prong bends even slightly from repeated impact, that contact loosens. The fulcrum effect means that a knock to one side of a ring setting can dislodge a stone entirely, even if the blow seems minor. Catching this early through the shake test can be the difference between a quick tightening and a lost stone.
What Professional Inspections Actually Catch
The shake test has limits. Some problems aren’t audible – they’re visual, and they require magnification.
During a professional inspection, a jeweller uses a loupe to examine prongs, bands, and surfaces for wear that’s invisible to the naked eye. Hairline fractures, thinning shanks, and micro-cracks in stones don’t announce themselves. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), even diamonds – the hardest natural material – can chip from a sharp blow, and professional cleanings every six months are recommended to verify the integrity of settings.
If you’re in Perth, visiting a Joondalup jewellery shop to have your settings examined under a loupe once or twice a year is one of the most cost-effective things you can do for your collection. Catching a worn prong before it fails costs a fraction of what stone replacement does.
White gold wearers should also ask about rhodium plating during these visits. White gold has a natural yellowish tone – the bright silvery finish comes from a thin rhodium coating that wears down with daily use. Replating it restores the original look and takes under an hour.
Storage Is A Daily Decision
Many individuals tend to keep their jewellery items in one place. This behavior can lead to various issues.
For instance, a diamond that is in direct contact with a strand of pearls can easily scratch the pearls. According to the Mohs scale, it’s a fact that materials with a higher hardness will always scratch those with a lower hardness on contact. You can easily prevent such damage by using individual fabric pouches or a divided organizer that comes with a soft lining to separate your items. In addition to preventing scratches, this will also protect your pieces from minor damages caused by items knocking against each other in the drawer.
You can further prevent silver items from getting tarnished by using anti-tarnish strips in your jewellery box. The strips work by absorbing the compounds from the air that lead to oxidation and tarnishing of the silver items.
Lastly, document your collection. By keeping photographs, receipts, and a current professional appraisal of the items, you will have all the necessary information to claim insurance and make sure that you get enough coverage for replacement of the items as well.
Protecting what you own starts before anything breaks.
