Fine jewelry should be considered a precious possession. If it is well designed and crafted with care, it should last a lifetime and you should be able to pass it on to the next generation. However, to survive the wear and tear you may give your jewelry items some proper care and knowledge needs to be acquired. Remember it is your jewelry to enjoy but it is the role of the jeweler to maintain it in the original beauty which attracted you to it in the first place. Please ask us for more detailed specific care information for your jewelry.

Basic Jewelery Care Tips

  • Store your jewelry in clean areas away from moisture and extreme temperature changes.
  • Home safes may not be advisable for some gemstones, please inquire.
  • Store your jewelry in separate boxes, jewelry cases with dividers or compartments or in jewelry pouches.
  • Don't allow your jewelry in storage to be jumbled or rub against each other. The metals and gemstones can easily be scratched.
  • It is highly suggested you remove your jewelry when washing your hands or applying lotions. Place jewelry away from the sink drain and don't leave it behind to be stolen. Be careful, don't get distracted, and ALWAYS follow a pattern.
  • Visit your jeweler every 6 months to have your jewelry professionally cleaned and checked. Schuck Jewelers does not charge for this service.
  • Once a year have your jewelry polished and refinished. When it is returned to you the following day, it will look nearly new.
  • You may wish to perform standard cleaning at home between visits to the store. We will be happy to give you tips and the safe methods to do so at home. You may even wish to purchase a home ultrasonic cleaner. Some work well and others just make noise. However, some ultrasonic cleaners can damage some jewelry or gemstones and prolonged use may loosen gemstones from their mountings. We can help you select the proper unit for home use.
  • Be very careful of an over-the-counter jewelry cleaner. Improper use or poor chemical formulation may damage your jewelry.

You need to take some simple steps to make certain your jewelry will remain looking beautiful today and tomorrow. Each item of jewelry or timepiece is unique and needs to be cleaned and cared for differently. Please ask us for more detailed specific cleaning information for your jewelry.

Detailed Cleaning and Care Tips

Diamond Jewelry

  • Do not wear diamond jewelry, especially rings, when doing rough work. Even though a diamond is one of the hardest materials in nature, it can still be chipped by a sharp, sudden blow.
  • Chlorine can damage and discolor the mounting on your diamond jewelry. This is usually the primary cause of cracks and fractures in the mounting and will lead to prong failure and loss of diamonds. Keep your diamond jewelry away from chlorine bleach or other household chemicals. You should also remove your diamond jewelry before entering a chlorinated pool or hot tub.
  • Clean your diamonds regularly using a well formulated commercial jewelry cleaner. You may at home use a mixture of ammonia and water (approximately a tablespoon to 8 ounces of room temperature water), or a mild detergent (a few drops to 8 ounces of room temperature water). Dip the jewelry into the solution and use a soft brush to dislodge dust or dirt from under the setting. Be careful not to brush out a loose stone and do it away from the sink drain. Always thoroughly rinse and dry your jewelry after cleaning and before storage.
  • Please note that doing dishes and taking showers is not the method to clean diamonds but only deposits difficult to remove grease and oils onto the diamonds which will only dull the beauty.

Colored Gemstones

  • Many natural gemstones are treated or enhanced from the time they are extracted from the earth by one or more traditionally accepted jewelry industry practices. These treatments and enhancements can affect how you should clean and care for your colored gemstone jewelry. Consult your jeweler for more information on caring for treated or enhanced gemstones.
  • After wearing, wipe your precious gemstone jewelry thoroughly with a clean, soft, slightly damp cloth. This will enhance the luster of the gemstones and ensure that your jewelry is clean before storage.
  • Store gemstone pieces individually in soft pouches. This is especially true for the more delicate colored gemstones such as emerald, opal and tanzanite. We have cloth pouches available for purchase.
  • Do not expose your precious gemstone pieces to saltwater or harsh chemicals, such as chlorine or detergents. These chemicals may slowly erode the finish and polish of most gemstones. Chlorine can damage and discolor the mounting on your colored gemstone jewelry. This is usually the primary cause of cracks and fractures in the mounting and will lead to prong failure and loss of the gemstones. Keep your jewelry away from chlorine bleach or other household chemicals. You should also remove your colored gemstone jewelry before entering a chlorinated pool or hot tub.
  • Hair spray, perfume and perspiration may cause jewelry to become dull and even damage some colored gemstones. Apply all cosmetics, perfumes and colognes before putting on colored gemstone jewelry. Make sure to wipe your gemstones with a soft cloth after wear to remove any chemicals, oils or perspiration.
  • Do not subject gemstone jewelry to sudden temperature changes especially delicate gemstones such as opals and emeralds.
  • If you have an active lifestyle, take extra precautions with some types of gemstone jewelry. Emerald, zircon and tanzanite, for example, are brittle or abrade easily and should not be worn when doing household chores or any other activity where the stone could be hit or damaged.
  • Be extra careful with ultrasonic cleaners. Some gemstones are fragile and can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners. Consult your jeweler for the best cleaning procedure for your particular gemstone jewelry. Your jeweler is also a good source for any information on colored gemstones.
  • Almost all colored stone jewelry can be safely cleaned using a mild soap (we only recommend Ivory soap or detergent) and water solution and a soft brush.
  • Always thoroughly rinse and dry your jewelry after cleaning and before storage.

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. By preventing the formation of this film, you immediately reduce the frequency with which your pieces will need to be cleaned.
  • Clean your gold jewelry regularly using a well formulated commercial jewelry cleaner. You may at home use a mixture of ammonia and water (approximately a tablespoon to 8 ounces of room temperature water), or a mild detergent (a few drops to 8 ounces of room temperature water). Grease can be removed from karat gold jewelry by dipping the jewelry into plain rubbing alcohol. Again, check with us before you use alcohol if the piece contains gemstones. Dip the jewelry into the solution and use a soft brush to dislodge dust or dirt from under the setting. To polish the gold jewelry, use a soft chamois or a jewelry polishing cloth available for purchase.
  • Most gold jewelry without any gemstones should be safe for home ultrasonic cleaning. If you are unsure about the safety please ask us.
  • Chlorine can damage and discolor gold jewelry. This is usually the primary cause of cracks and fractures in gold jewelry. Keep your jewelry away from chlorine bleach or other household chemicals. You should also remove your diamond jewelry before entering a chlorinated pool or hot tub.
  • Gold jewelry will tarnish if exposed to certain chemicals including fumes from the chemicals and even in your home or work place air. Some commercial jewelry cleaners will remove the tarnish but often only your jeweler can do a complete removal.
  • You should consult your jeweler before attempting to clean any karat gold jewelry set with colored gemstones, because some stones require special cleaning procedures. Please read the tips in the diamond and colored gemstone sections for tips.

Platinum

  • Platinum jewelry can be cleaned in the same manner as other fine gold jewelry.
  • Clean your gold jewelry regularly using a well formulated commercial jewelry cleaner. You may at home use a mixture of ammonia and water (approximately a tablespoon to 8 ounces of room temperature water), or a mild detergent (a few drops to 8 ounces of room temperature water). Grease can be removed from karat gold jewelry by dipping the jewelry into plain rubbing alcohol. Again, check with us before you use alcohol if the piece contains gemstones. Dip the jewelry into the solution and use a soft brush to dislodge dust or dirt from under the setting. To polish the gold jewelry, use a soft chamois or a jewelry polishing cloth available for purchase.
  • Most gold jewelry without any gemstones should be safe for home ultrasonic cleaning. If you are unsure about the safety please ask us.
  • Store your platinum jewelry separately and with care, not allowing pieces to touch each other, because even platinum can be scratched. Actually platinum scratches and dents much easier than gold alloys do and the damage is usually much more pronounced. However, due to the metal's durability there is usually little metal loss from the scratch. When visible scratches do appear, we will be able to polish the piece.
  • You should consult your jeweler before attempting to clean any platinum jewelry set with colored gemstones, because some stones require special cleaning procedures. Please read the tips in the diamond and colored gemstone sections for tips.

Sterling Silver Jewelry

  • You may clean your silver jewelry with a mild soap and water solution (a few drops to 8 ounces of room temperature water) and then pat dry with a soft cloth. For more stubborn dirt, use jewelry cleaner designed for silver use. Do not mix gold and silver jewelry items in the same jar of jewelry cleaner, damage may occur.
  • Store your silver in a cool, dry place, preferably in a tarnish-preventive bag or wrapped in a soft piece of felt or cloth. Store pieces individually, so they don't knock together and scratch. Make sure your silver is not exposed to air and light during storage which can cause silver to tarnish. Storing them inside a zip top poly bag with a tarnish preventive paper will prevent most tarnish from developing.
  • Do not rub silver with anything other than a clean jewelry polishing cloth. We have the cloths available for purchase. Do not use tissue paper or paper towels as they will cause scratches because of the fibers in these products.
  • Do not wear sterling silver in chlorinated water or when working with household or work place chemicals. Silver tarnishes very easy in a chemical environment and damage may occur.

Cultured Pearls

  • Apply cosmetics, hair sprays and perfume before putting on any pearl jewelry. When you remove the jewelry, wipe it carefully with a soft cloth to remove any traces of these substances.
  • You can also wash your pearl jewelry with mild soap and water (we only recommend Ivory soap or detergent). Do not clean cultured pearls with any chemicals, abrasives or solvents. These substances can damage your pearls.
  • Always lay cultured pearl strands flat to dry. Hanging a strand may stretch the threads.
  • Do not 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.
  • Place cultured pearls in a chamois bag or wrap them in a soft cloth when putting them away.
  • Cosmetics, perspiration, oils and ordinary wear weaken and stretch the threads on which the pearls are strung. Bring your pearls back to your jeweler for restringing once a year. Make certain the pearls are strung with a knot between each pearl. This will prevent loss of pearls if the string should break.

Watches

  • Battery life varies considerably according to the type of watch and its functions. Refer to your owner's manual for more information.
  • Have a watchmaker replace the battery in a quartz watch before it runs out. Dead batteries left in the watch may leak or corrode, ruining the timepiece. Do not attempt to change the battery in a watch yourself. If your watch is water resistant, a water resistance examination of seals should be performed after the battery has been replaced. This helps ensure that water will not leak into and damage the watch but there is no guarantee unless a pressure test is performed.
  • No matter how handy you are, do not attempt any repairs yourself. Home repairs or repairs by an unqualified person will only increase the damage and repair costs. Only a watchmaker should be trusted to put your watch back into working condition.
  • Give your watch a quick check on a regular basis, making sure that the strap or bracelet is securely attached to the watch face.
  • A mechanical watch and most electronic watches should be checked and overhauled regularly by your watchmaker and serviced according to the manufacturer's guidelines.
  • Wind your watch in a clockwise direction, preferably about the same time each day. Remove the watch from your wrist when winding so as not to place undue pressure on the stem. You cannot over wind a watch. Just stop winding when the stem stops turning freely.
  • Replace broken or scratched crystals immediately. Even a hairline crack can let dust and moisture into the timekeeping mechanism, threatening its accuracy.
  • Unless the degree of water resistance is clearly specified when you purchase your watch, do not wear it into the shower or pool, or in the rain. Have our watchmaker explain the different levels of water resistance and the different levels of protection they provide.
  • Oils from your skin can build up on a watch along with daily dirt and grime. This can easily damage the watch band and watch case. If your watch is highly water resistant, 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. If your watch has a strap made out of leather or another material, you should clean only the watch face and not the strap. We do not recommend home cleaning since water resistant seals may have become degraded and only a watchmaker can tell for certain. It is best to have a watchmaker perform the cleaning procedure.
  • If your watch is not water resistant, or you're not sure, do not immerse it in water. Clean the piece with a slightly damp cloth and then dry.