Fine Jewelry is meant to be forever - Tips to add years to your Fine Jewelry
Like everything else jewelry too needs to be cleaned now and then to preserve it luster, sparkle, shine and beauty. You can add years to your fine jewelry if you follow some very simple and basic tips that are essential to keep fine jewelry looking gorgeous and stunning as if it were just got from the showroom. Diamonds, Precious gemstones like rubies, emeralds and sapphires, gold, platinum, silver, Pearls etc require special care besides the general tips. We have compiled a list of recommended care that you need to take to preserve your precious fine jewelry so that it looks as good as it did when it was in the showroom whenever you see or wear it. If you have any other questions or concerns about how to clean, maintain and care for your jewelry you can contact us by e-mail or phone and our jewelry experts will be more than happy to assist you with your concerns.
 
General Care, Handling and Maintenance tips for your Fine Jewelry
Do not forget to remove your fine jewelry while doing regular manual household tasks like gardening, cooking, cleaning dishes, cleaning the house and other common tasks as this may expose your jewelry to chemical in the cleaning supplies and dirt and grime – When performing manual tasks, remove your jewelry to prevent physical damage or exposure to chemicals or cleaning fluids. Some tasks that should be avoided when wearing jewelry include kitchen work, gardening, cleaning the house and other common tasks. Avoid wearing while taking Shower as soap and shampoos can cause a film to form, making your jewelry looking dull especially underneath.Always remove your ring while applying hand lotionAlways wear your jewelry after all your makeup  has been gone like, applying perfumes, hairspray, cosmetics etc as these makeup item contain chemicals that can often damage fine jewelry.Always put your fine jewelry on after applying all the make up that you intend to do like using Cosmetics, perfumes, hairspray, lotion etc as these makeup item contain chemicals that can often damage fine jewelry. Do not wear your fine jewelry in swimming pools and spas treated with Chlorinated water as this can react with the metals found in jewelry causing color changes and even structural damage. It is advised to remove your jewelry before entering the pool or spa.Avoid wearing jewelry while playing sports as hard blows can damage the jewelry.Keep your fine jewelry items from contact with one another to avoid abrasion. Your diamond jewelry could scratch your colored gemstones if they are not stored properly.Keep your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewelry case, or in a box with compartments and dividers. You can also use ordinary boxes provided you wrap each piece individually in soft tissue paper or keep each piece in a small zip lockDo not leave your jewelry on the rim of a sink where it can easily slip down the drain. Also be careful while taking off your jewelry as small pieces of jewelry like earnings can slip and fall down and be Remove hairs or other fibers and dirt stuck in the prongs or setting regularly.Never clean any jewelry that is damaged, cracked or broken, since the additional handling is likely to worsen the problem. If you find that a piece of jewelry is damaged, set it aside for repair as soon as possible.See your jeweler at least once a year to have your jewelry checked for loose prongs, worn mountings, general wear and tear and professional cleaning

Diamond Jewelry Care, Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

Diamonds are the most popular choice for making fine jewelry due to a variety of reasons like its beauty toughness, rarity, history, resistance to damage by heat or scratching. However diamonds are not indestructible .They are very vulnerable at the girdle and can be chipped by sharp sudden blows. You can pass your diamond jewelry like your diamond engagement rings, anniversary rings, diamond earrings, diamond bracelets, diamond pendants to your future generations without too much maintenance effort due to their durability provided you follow our expert jeweler recommended tips. Clean your diamonds regularly using a commercial jewelry cleaner, a mix of ammonia and water, or a mild detergent. Dip the jewelry into the solution and use a soft brush to dislodge dust or dirt from under the setting. Chlorine can damage and discolor the mounting on your diamond jewelry. Keep your diamond away from chlorine bleach or other household chemicals. Avoid wearing diamond jewelry, especially rings, when doing rough work involving dirt and chemicals. Sparkle and Dazzle offers its customers a diamond jewelry cleaning set for $ 20. This set includes a non-toxic solution specifically formulated for cleaning your diamonds along with a polishing cloth to maintain the shine of your setting .We also offer free cleaning for all diamond jewelry purchased from us. We recommend you get your diamond jewelry inspected and cleaned by a professional jeweler once in every six months as diamond jewelry especially the diamond engagement rings are often worn around the clock by many people. Also keep in mind the above mentioned general tips for jewelry cleaning to enhance years of your diamond jewelry. Click here to read more tips.

Sapphire Jewelry Care, Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

Sapphire jewelry has been worn by king and queens since centuries. Regardless of the fact, whether it is the gorgeous Bismarck platinum sapphire necklace,  the stunning and exquisite diamond engagement ring of Princess Diana passed on now to Kate Middleton or Empress Maria Alexandrovna magnificient brooch, all Sapphire jewelry, in fact all jewelry has to be periodically cleaned to maintain its original beauty, sparkle and illumination. Sapphires are corundum gemstone. They are one of the toughest materials found on earth rated 9 on moh`s scale but that does not imply that it needs no maintenance, cleaning and care. If you want sapphire jewelry to be passed on to your next generations you need to take proper care of it just like you would do for any other piece of jewelry. Maintenance, cleaning and care can add an extra sparkle and bring years to your fine jewelry. You can clean your sapphire jewelry at home using lukewarm water and mild dishwashing soap, or one part ammonia to six parts water. You can gently brush the sapphires with a small bristle brush or tooth brush, especially underneath where dirt collects and then rinse and dry with a soft cloth. Sparkle and dazzle offers its customers a sapphire jewelry cleaning set for $ 20. This set includes a non-toxic solution specifically formulated for cleaning your sapphires along with a polishing cloth to maintain the shine of your setting. We also provide free cleaning for your sapphire jewelry brought from us. For more tips on how to clean your sapphire jewelry also check out our general tips for cleaning fine jewelry. Click here to read more tips.

Ruby Jewelry Care, Cleaning and Maintenance Tips
Rubies like diamonds and sapphires are very tough, durable gemstone and can be passes over generations like a heirloom piece of jewelry if you properly care for it, clean and maintain it regularly. We see a lot of ruby jewelry displayed at museums gleaming as if it were just designed. This is due to the fact that it has been properly taken care of over years. You too can add years to your ruby jewelry by following our jewelry expert recommended tips.
 
Clean your ruby jewelry with the help of warm water and a mild detergent followed by a soft scrubbing with a soft cloth. You can also clean your rubies in an ultra-sonic machine once a while but we recommend occasional cleaning by a  professional jeweler once in ever six months. Avoid contact of rubies with harsh chemicals. Store ruby wrapped in soft cloth or tissue, segregated from other softer stones or else they may be scratches on it . Avoid subjecting rubies to prolonged exposure to strong heat or light sources and steam particularly with regard to some varieties of heat-treated gems, as prolonged exposure may cause permanent changes in coloration. Commercial Solvents can also be used to get rid of those stubborn deposits that form on the rubies. They can be washed with a soft bristled brush available in the market to clean jewelry. Sparkle and dazzle offers its customers a Ruby jewelry cleaning set for $ 20. This set includes a non-toxic solution specifically formulated for cleaning your Rubies along with a polishing cloth to maintain the shine of your setting. We also provide free cleaning for your Ruby jewelry brought from us. For more tips on how to clean your Ruby jewelry also check out our general tips for cleaning fine jewelry above. Click here to read more tips.
 
Emerald Jewelry Care, Cleaning and Maintenance Tips
Emeralds with a hardness of 7.5 To 8 on The Moh's Scale are not exactly Soft Gemstones and cannot be easily scratched. However as many emeralds mined across the world have inherent inclusions and minute surface-reaching breaks, they can be easily chipped or broken. Moreover today the gem industry has come up with a number of alternatives to treat these fissures with oils and other fillers making them less prominent to naked eyes. These Oils and filler enhancements used today on many emeralds make special caring for the emerald jewelry essential and inevitable.
To clean your emerald jewelry occasionally wash it with  slightly  warm water to which some mild detergent has been added. You can also use a soft brush to run through the crevices of the ring mounting so that all the dirt that has settled be removed . Avoid very hot water or steam for cleaning Emeralds as water may seep into the treated areas and dilute or dissolve the fillers Also never put emeralds in an ultrasonic cleaning equipment. Emerald jewelry should not be cleaned with petroleum distillates or any organic solvents. Exposing the emeralds to too much heat can expand the fissures and make them crack.
Storing your emeralds the right way is equally important for adding years to your emerald jewelry. Always make sure you store your emerald rings wrapped individually in tissue or soft cloth in separate compartments of your jewelry box. Always avoid a situation where your emerald rings rubs against any other piece of jewelry. Since emeralds are soft stones they easily get damaged and their surface gets scratched so never put them along with any other piece of jewelry.We recommend visiting a professional jeweler once in a while for cleaning your Emerald Jewelry to maintain it luster and beauty.
 
Sparkle and dazzle offers its customers an emerald jewelry cleaning set for $15. This set includes a non-toxic solution specifically formulated for cleaning your Emeralds along with a polishing cloth to maintain the shine of your setting. We also provide free cleaning for your Emerald jewelry brought from us. In addition to the above tips you also need to keep in mind the general tips for cleaning jewelry to maintain the glow and beauty of your emerald jewelry. Click here to know more about the general tips for cleaning jewelry.
 
Platinum Jewelry Care, Cleaning and Maintenance Tips
Unlike other metals platinum does not oxidize, fade and change color over time. It holds its luster longer. Platinum is very strong and durable and hence is a popular choice for making setting for diamonds and other precious gemstones. However regular cleaning is essential if you want to maintain the lustre and beauty of your platinum jewelry. Like gold you can clean your platinum jewelry with a cleaner by gently rubbing the cleaner on your jewelry using a very soft cloth. We recommend that you get your platinum Jewelry cleaned and polished by a professional jeweler once every year. Always make sure you store your Platinum jewelry - rings, earrings , pendants, bracelets-  wrapped individually in tissue or soft cloth in separate compartments of your jewelry box. Always avoid a situation where your platinum jewelry rubs against any other piece of jewelry as their surface gets scratched. If any scratches appear on your platinum, ask a trained jeweler to remove them professionally by repolishing.
 
Sparkle and dazzle offers its customers a diamond platinum jewelry cleaning set for $15. This set includes a solution specifically formulated for cleaning your diamond platinum jewelry along with a polishing cloth to maintain the shine of your setting. We also provide free cleaning for your platinum jewelry brought from us. For more tips on how to clean your platinum jewelry also check out our general tips for cleaning fine jewelry above. Click here to read more tips.
 
Gold Jewelry Care, Cleaning and Maintenance Tips
Gold is a unique metal having resistant to rust, tarnish, and corrosion and hence is a very popular choice in making precious jewelry. But gold in its pure form is very soft and hence it is generally combined with other metal like silver, copper, nickel, and zinc to give it strength and durability. Gold Purity is indicated by Karatage, or “K” i. e how much of the metal in a piece of jewelry is gold. Karatage is expressed in 24ths, making 24k gold, 18ths making 18K gold etc. The type of metal alloy and percentage of the metal alloy decides the color of gold. Today majority of fine designer jewelry collections are made from gold or platinum. Gold being cheaper it is preferred by more people over platinum. Cleaning gold jewelry once a while is essential if you want to maintain its beauty.You can clean your gold jewelry, with a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap using a soft-bristled brush. Always make sure you store your gold jewelry - rings, earrings , pendants, bracelets-  wrapped individually in tissue or soft cloth in separate compartments of your jewelry box. Always avoid a situation where your gold jewelry rubs against any other piece of jewelry as their surface gets scratched. If any scratches appear on your gold jewelry, ask a trained jeweler to remove them professionally by repolishing. It’s a good idea to take your gold jewelry to an expert jeweler once a year to have them thoroughly cleaned and inspected. An optional polish will keep your gold looking glossy,
Sparkle and dazzle offers its customers diamond gold jewelry cleaning set for $15. This set includes a solution specifically formulated for cleaning your diamond gold jewelry along with a polishing cloth to maintain the shine of your settings. We also provide free cleaning for your platinum jewelry brought from us. For more tips on how to clean your gold jewelry also check out our general tips for cleaning fine jewelry above. Click here to read more tips.
 
Pearl Jewelry Care, Cleaning and Maintenance Tips
Pearls have been a source of fascination for centuries. They have been considered the most magical and feminine of all gems and are created by a living organism. Pearls make very delicate pieces of jewelry so taking proper care of pearls to maintain its luster is essential if you want to extend the number of years you wish to wear your pearl jewelry. We have compiled a list of do`s and don`t `s for cleaning and caring of your pearl jewelry. Always clean pearls only with pearl cleaners or jewelry cleaners labeled as safe for pearls. You can also wash your pearl jewelry with mild soap and water but keep in mind that certain soaps are harsh and can harm the soft surface of the pearl. Pearls are very vulnerable to acid, alkaline and extremes of humidity. Also avoid letting them come into contact with cosmetics, hair spray, or perfume. Always put on your jewelry at last after applying make-up, perfumes, lotions and styling hair. Perspiration can damage the pearl luster so wipe them gently with a soft cloth before putting them away in a jewelry box. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean pearls nor should you steam clean pearls. Pearls are very delicate pieces of jewelry so never use toothbrushes, scouring pads or abrasive materials to clean pearls and avoid wearing pearls with rough fabrics. Wet strings elongate and attract dirt, which is hard to remove so avoid wearing pearls when the string is wet. Never toss your cultured pearl jewelry carelessly into a purse, bag or jewel box. A pearl's surface is soft and can be scratched by hard metal edges or by the harder gemstones of other jewelry pieces. We recommend that you get your pearl jewelry cleaned once a year by a professional jeweler. Leaving pearl jewelry in a box for long periods may cause pearls to dehydrate, so wear them frequently.