Jewellery Care & Repair
Care For Your Jewellery
With age and usage, normal wear and tear does occur. Regular maintenance is key to keeping the lustre, shine and colours of your precious metals and gems. Jewellery can last for years, even generations, if well taken care of.
Here’s a list of things you can look out for when inspecting your jewellery:
-
Fastening Mechanism
Look out for slack in the tension of clasps, spring hooks, ear studs, etc.
-
Claws / Prongs
Make sure the gemstones are secure. Loose claws or prongs can cause gems to dislodge and fall out.
-
Discolouration
Gold jewellery can oxidise and discolour under certain conditions or when exposed to certain elements or extreme temperature changes. However, discolouration will not affect the quality or gold content of the jewellery.
-
Hollow Structures
Jewellery with hollow structures can be dented if knocked against hard surfaces.
-
Bents and Dents
High-Karat gold (999 or 22K/916 fineness) is inherently soft and can therefore be bent, dented and accidentally knocked or pressed out of shape.
-
Scratches
Jewellery with protruding ‘diamond-cut’ designs can cause scratches or entanglement.
Maintenance Services
We highly recommend bringing your jewellery back to Poh Heng for professional servicing and checking. Please check with our staff for more information on other jewellery care and maintenance services.
Jade
For simple, quick cleaning, just wipe with a dry jewellery cloth or soft velvety cloth. Do not soak in hot water and avoid brushing as this may dull the jade’s sheen.
Diamond and Other Gems
For gems, add a drop or two of mild detergent into a bowl of lukewarm water and soak the jewellery for a few minutes. Gently brush the clasps, claws and grooves, then rinse under running water and pat dry with a soft cloth.
Gold
For all plain gold items, gently wipe with a soft, damp cloth. Ensure it’s completely dry before wearing or storing.
Pearl
Soak pearls only in cold water (hot water peels away the skin of the pearl) with a dash of mild soap. Use a soft velvety cloth to wipe dry and then leave to air-dry. Do not brush pearls as this will cause them to lose their lustre.
Wearing
Jewellery should be worn last, i.e. after your makeup, hair and dressing. Remember to take off your jewellery before showering or doing any household chores.
Storing
- Ensure that your jewellery is thoroughly dry before storing them.
- Always keep your jewellery in a box with velvet or satin lining and padding.
- Get a jewellery box with several compartments, for easier organising.
- Small pieces should be kept together in one compartment, individually stored in mini zipped plastic bags.
- Keep chains flat in narrow compartments and hook the ends together.
- Keep different gemstones separately as they vary in hardness.
