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Have you ever felt the frustration of broken jewelry or a lost stone? If the answer is yes, then this is the perfect post for you to read! To often we have customers come into our store with damaged or broken jewelry. The customers almost always ask, “Why would this happen?”. After doing some detective work, we usually discover that the jewelry has endured a lot of abuse that the customer was not aware of doing. This article will help educate you on what “not to do” to make your jewelry last a lifetime.

 

 

Tip #1: Take off all jewelry when working out. Lifting weights can easily deform and damage the shank on the ring.

Tip #2: When you are swimming in chlorinated pools, take off all jewelry. The chlorine creates stress on the gold and will cause the gold to crack and become brittle over time. The most common signs of chlorine exposure are cracked shanks and thinning prongs. Water aerobic fanatics take off your jewelry!

 

Tip #3: Take off all bracelets and rings when performing household chores. Just like chlorine, the harsh chemicals in the household products can be very damaging to your jewelry.

 

Tip #4: Educate yourself on the hardness of your gemstones. The hardness of a stone is measured on the Mohs Hardness Scale. The scale ranges from 1 to 10. The lower the stone falls on the scale the softer they are. The softer they are the more vulnerable they are to scratching. To learn more about the Mohs Hardness Scale and the hardness your stone is visit: Mohs Scale-GIA

 

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TIP #5: Put jewelry on after applying your makeup and hair products. The same principle is applied here as in tip three and four. The less exposure to chemicals the better.

Tip #6: Remove jewelry before showering or bathing. I know there are many people who do everything with your jewelry on, but don’t. For the sake of your beautiful gems, gold, and diamonds take them off before bathing. 🙂

Tip #7: BEST TIP YET! We suggest stopping by a jeweler once every six to eight months to have your jewelry examined. By doing so, you will catch any potential problems, such as broken prongs, lost diamonds, and cracked shanks. This service is free at Smith’s Jewelers, and while you are there they will clean your jewelry for free too!