Kimberly C Fine Jewelry pieces are masterfully crafted, but still delicate and should be cared for accordingly. We advise you to follow some care instructions to keep your jewelry in optimal condition and extend the life of your pieces.
Some pointers to help you care for your pieces:
General care:
We don’t always notice how hard we are on our pieces. Rings can easily be damaged by day to day activities such as touching metal door handles, or tapping the bottom of your rings down on stone or metal counter surfaces. Necklaces can be bent or broken by children gently tugging on them, and bracelets can easily break by snagging on fabric surfaces. We advise you to be aware of the environments you wear your pieces in as well as regularly check that your pieces are not compromised in any way that further makes them susceptible to damage or loss.
We highly advise that you frequently have your pieces cleaned and checked for wear and tear durability issues by a jewelry professional. Fine jewelry is delicate and can be very easily damaged if not cared for accordingly.
If you are unable to visit a professional in your area, we offer cleaning, maintenance and repair services. Please contact us to coordinate these service at info@kimberlycjewelry.com.
Bed time:
Remove your jewelry before bedtime to avoid any dents, bending or tangling.
The most common problem with wearing your jewelry to bed is found with stud earrings. Stud earrings are mostly manufactured with post and friction backings. The most common of friction backings manufactured are produced by bending the backing to a shape that resembles a “butterfly”. When you sleep with these backings on, they are susceptible to further bending which compromises the integrity of the backings security. This is the most common cause of loosing earrings when backings come loose.
Another common problem created from wearing your jewelry to bed is with necklaces. Tangling happens more often with finer chain necklaces, but not exclusively. The finer the chain, the harder it is to remove the knot, often resulting in permanent damage.
Harsh chemicals:
Remove your jewelry before bathing, swimming, applying soaps, lotions and/or perfumes to avoid any exposure to harsh chemicals on the surface of your pieces as well and to avoid buildup of product in small openings such as under stones. Please note that “natural” products can still create chemical reactions to your pieces.
Many stones are also treated to enhance their natural beauty, such as pearls, emeralds, opals and jade. These treatments can be reversed if the incorrect chemicals come in contact with them. If you are not sure if your pieces are treated, we highly advise you contact a jewelry professional to assess them.
Harsh chemicals can also effect the metal treatments or platings of your “non fine jewelry” such as your vermeil pieces. Vermeil jewelry is brass or silver plated jewelry with a very thin coating of a paint like substance containing small gold particles. Many synthetic and natural chemicals can react with this coating and can permanently damage your pieces. At Kimberly C Fine Jewelry, we do not sell vermeil jewelry, we only sell fine jewelry.
Exercise:
Leave your jewelry at home before engaging in strenuous activities such as exercising or lifting heavy objects.
Gold as well as platinum are soft metals that can be very easily bent, compromising the integrity of the metals, often resulting in a loss of stones.
Stones are often fractured, chipped and permanently damaged when exercising. The most common misconception about diamonds are that they are not breakable. This is not true. A diamond is noted as being the hardest substance on earth with a rating of 10 on the Mohs’ scale of hardness. Diamonds have weak points on them, such as corners, facet edges and their culet. If your diamonds contain inclusions in them, these inclusions can further compromise the durability of the stone and their susceptibility to breakage and chipping.
When you are exercising, remove your jewelry and store it in a safe place. Many people like to store their rings on their necklaces keeping them close. This is an effective method, but be careful of rubbing, snagging and even breakage of your chain caused by the added weight. Another way people effectively store their pieces are in zip up sweatband wristbands. Wristband:https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07CRSG3H7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Travel:
While traveling, store your jewelry in jewelry travel cases or in individual zip lock bags. Storing in individual bags will help prevent tangling of chains and excessive rubbing of items against each other.
Many jewelry companies sell mini jewelry travel cases. Most of these cases are poorly designed and often can do more harm to your pieces.
The best cases are jewelry folders with compartments and dividers that keep your pieces separated. Separating your pieces and keeping them secure ensures that pieces do not rub on each other as well as tangle with each other and themselves. We strongly recommend keeping chains and more delicate pieces in resealable/reusable baggies. When storing chains in little baggies, we recommend keeping the clasp/closure portion of the chain dangling out to further prevent tangling.
Case:https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07K893K22/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Cleaning:
Cleaning your jewelry at home can help extend the life of your pieces by removing any surface dirt and buildup. Cleaning at home will not remove scratches and surface damage on your metals. Polishing of your metal pieces is a service most jewelry professionals offer. You should refrain from having this service done too often as a minor amount of metal is removed with this process which can result in thinning of metal.
To clean your jewelry at home, use a soft toothbrush with dish soap and gently scrub the surface and under any exposed openings. Please be advised that some stones and pearls are not to be cleaned at home. Contact your local jeweller or Kimberly C Fine Jewelry for these pieces. Many retailers and jewellers now offer at home jewelry cleaning solutions. When purchasing these solutions, ensure that you are buying non toxic eco friendly formulas that DO NOT contain harsh chemicals, peroxides, phosphates, ammonia, or acids.
Kimberly C Jewelry now offers at home foaming jewelry cleaner. Click here to purchase.