Another tips : What You Should Know About Care and Cleaning Jewelry

I found another interesting info on "What You Should Know About Care and Cleaning Jewelry"
Hope this one is useful...

Because every gift is a memory cherished forever so we need to take care all our jewelry

General Tips

- Store your jewelry in a clean, dry place.
- Don't clutter your jewelry pieces in a drawer or jewelry case. Pieces can scratch each other.
- Keep your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewelry case or in a case with compartments and dividers.
- Visit your jeweler at least once a year to have your jewelry checked for loose prongs or worn mountings.(should we? I never do it haha )
- Be careful when taking off jewelry to wash your hands. Place jewelry on rim of sink to avoid slipping down the drain.

Diamond Jewelry

- Do not wear diamond jewelry when doing rough work. Even though diamond is the hardest material in nature, it can still be chipped by a sharp sudden blow.

- Avoid Chlorine which can damage and discolor mountings on your diamond jewelry. Keep diamond away from house hold chemicals.

- Clean diamonds regularly using a commercial cleaner, a mix of ammonia and water, or a mild detergent.

- Always thoroughly rinse and dry your jewelry after cleaning and before storage.

Colored Gemstones ~ Swarovski crystal

- Many gemstones are treated and enhanced. These treatments and enhancements can affect how you clean and care for your color gemstones. Consult your jeweler for more information on caring for treated or enhanced gemstones.
- After wearing wipe gemstones with a clean, soft, and slightly damp cloth. This will enhance the luster of the gemstones and ensure that your jewelry is clean.
- Store gemstones pieces individually in soft pouches. You should be able to obtain these from your jeweler.
- Do not expose precious gemstones to saltwater or harsh chemicals, such as chlorine or detergents. These chemicals may slowly diminish the finish and polish of gemstones.
- Do not subject gemstone jewelry to sudden temperature changes.
- Hair spray, perfume and perspiration may cause the jewelry to become dull. Apply all cosmetics, perfume, and colognes before putting on colored gemstone jewelry.

Karat Gold Jewelry

- Remove all gold jewelry before showering or cleaning. Soap can cause a film to form on karat gold jewelry, making it appear dull and dingy.

- Be careful of chlorine. Chlorine, especially at high temperatures, can permanently damage or discolor your gold jewelry.
- You can remove tarnish with jewelry cleaner, or by using soap and water mixed with a few drops of ammonia.

- Grease can be removed from karat gold by dipping jewelry into plain rubbing alcohol.

Platinum - Rhodium
- Platinum can be cleaned in the same manner as other fine jewelry.
- Store your platinum jewelry separately with care; not allowing pieces to touch each other, because even platinum can be scratched.
- Consult with your jeweler if your platinum is set with diamonds or other precious stones on how to clean and care for your jewelry.

Sterling Silver Jewelry
- Clean your silver jewelry with a mild soap and water solution, allowing water to bead up, and the pat dry with a soft cloth.
- Store silver in a cool, dry place, preferably in a tarnish-preventive bag or wrapped in a soft piece of felt cloth.
- Do not rub silver with anything other than a polishing cloth or a fine piece of felt. Tissue paper or paper towels can cause scratches because of the fibers in these products.
- Make sure your silver is not exposed to air or light during storage this can cause the silver to tarnish.

Culture Pearls
- Apply all cosmetics, perfume, and colognes before putting on any pearls. When taking off pearls wipe it carefully to remove any traces of these substances.
- You can wash your pearl with mild soap and water. Do not clean cultured pearls with any chemicals, abrasives or solvents.
- Always lay cultured pearls flat to dry. Hanging a strand may stretch the threads.
- Do not toss your pearl jewelry carelessly into a purse, or jewelry box. A pearl's surface is soft and can be scratched by hard metal edges or by the harder gemstones of other jewelry pieces.

Watches
- No matter how handy you are, don't attempt to perform repairs yourself. Only expert jeweler/watchmaker should be trusted to put your watch back into working conditions.
- Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately. Even a hairline crack can let dust and moisture into the timekeeping mechanism, threatening its accuracy.
- Have your jeweler/watchmaker or an authorized watch dealer replace the battery in a quartz watch before it runs out. Dead batteries left in a watch can leak or corrode, ruining the timepiece.
- Oils from your skin can build up on a watch, you can give it a quick cleaning with a mixture of warm water and either a mild soap or a dish detergent. Dry the watch with a soft cloth after cleaning.

Source: Jewelers of America, INC. from Internet