Guía de cuidado

Jewellery Care Guide

How to care for gold, silver, gemstones and watches.

Antique, vintage and pre-owned jewellery should be worn and enjoyed, but it deserves sensible care. A few simple habits can protect the condition, beauty and longevity of your piece.

The Golden Rule

Jewellery should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. Avoid wearing fine jewellery while sleeping, exercising, swimming, cleaning, gardening or applying perfume, lotions and hairspray.

This is especially important for antique and vintage pieces, where settings, claws, hinges, links and stone mounts may have already lived a long life.

Wear With Awareness

Fine jewellery is not indestructible. Knocks, chemicals, pressure and abrasion can all cause damage over time.

Store Separately

Keep each piece in its own pouch, box or compartment to prevent scratches, tangled chains and stone-on-stone damage.

Clean Gently

Use mild methods first. Harsh dips, ultrasonic cleaners and abrasive cloths can damage certain stones, finishes and older pieces.

Check Regularly

Inspect claws, clasps, settings, hinges and bracelet links. If something feels loose, stop wearing it until checked.

Gold Jewellery Care

Gold is durable, but it can still scratch, bend or wear down over time. Higher carat gold is usually richer in colour but softer than lower carat gold, so antique gold pieces should be treated with particular care.

How to clean gold jewellery

Use warm water with a small amount of mild washing-up liquid.
Soak briefly only if the piece is structurally sound and does not contain delicate gemstones.
Use a soft toothbrush to gently clean around settings and details.
Rinse carefully and dry fully with a soft lint-free cloth.

Avoid: chlorine, bleach, abrasive cleaners, toothpaste, rough polishing cloths and wearing gold rings during heavy manual work. These can scratch the surface, weaken settings or affect the finish.

Silver Jewellery Care

Silver naturally tarnishes when exposed to air, moisture, perfumes and chemicals. Tarnish is normal and does not usually mean the piece is damaged.

How to clean silver jewellery

Use a proper silver polishing cloth for light tarnish.
Store silver in a dry place, ideally in an anti-tarnish pouch or sealed jewellery box.
Wipe after wearing to remove skin oils, perfume and moisture.
For detailed or antique silver, clean gently to avoid stripping patina from recessed areas.

Important: avoid silver dip on pieces with pearls, opals, turquoise, enamel, paste stones or oxidised detailing. It can do more harm than good.

Gemstone Jewellery Care

Not all gemstones can be treated the same way. Diamonds, sapphires and rubies are hard-wearing, but many other stones are more vulnerable to heat, water, chemicals and impact.

Gemstone Type	General Care	What To Avoid
Diamond, Sapphire, Ruby	Usually suitable for gentle warm soapy water cleaning, if the setting is secure.	Hard knocks, loose claws, ultrasonic cleaning without professional advice.
Emerald	Clean only with a soft damp cloth or very gentle soapy water.	Ultrasonic cleaners, heat, steam, harsh chemicals.
Opal	Wipe gently with a soft damp cloth and store away from extreme dryness.	Heat, prolonged sunlight, ultrasonic cleaners, sudden temperature changes.
Pearl	Wipe after wearing with a soft cloth. Store separately from harder jewellery.	Perfume, hairspray, water soaking, silver dip, rough cloths.
Turquoise, Coral, Amber	Use a dry or slightly damp soft cloth only.	Chemicals, water soaking, heat, ultrasonic cleaners.
Paste, Foil-Backed Stones, Enamel	Clean very cautiously with a dry soft cloth.	Water, dips, ultrasonic cleaners, steam and harsh rubbing.

If you are unsure what gemstone your piece contains, avoid water, heat and cleaning solutions until it has been properly assessed.

Watch Care

Vintage and pre-owned watches should be treated differently from modern sports watches. Even if a watch is described as water resistant, age, seals and previous wear can affect its protection.

Daily watch care

Keep watches away from water unless recently pressure tested and confirmed suitable.
Avoid wearing vintage watches in the shower, bath, sauna, gym or swimming pool.
Keep away from strong magnets, speakers and magnetic clasps.
Wipe the case and bracelet gently with a soft dry cloth after wearing.
Service mechanical watches periodically, especially if timekeeping changes or the watch has been stored for years.

Water resistance warning: vintage watches should not be assumed waterproof. Aged seals, crowns and case backs can allow moisture inside, which may cause serious movement or dial damage.

Storage Advice

Good storage prevents unnecessary damage. Chains should be fastened before storing to reduce tangling. Rings, brooches and watches should be kept apart to prevent scratching.

Store jewellery in a cool, dry place.
Keep pieces away from bathrooms and damp areas.
Use separate compartments, pouches or soft-lined boxes.
Do not store pearls in airtight plastic for long periods.
Keep watches away from magnets and moisture.

When To Seek Professional Help

Stop wearing your jewellery and seek professional advice if you notice movement in a stone, thinning claws, a loose clasp, a bent shank, a cracked gemstone, moisture inside a watch, or any sudden change in feel or sound.

Small issues are usually easier and cheaper to correct early. Ignoring them is how stones get lost and old pieces get properly buggered.

Need Advice On A Piece?

If you have a question about caring for an item purchased from Alpha Omega Jewellery, please contact us before using cleaning solutions, dips or ultrasonic cleaners.