Caring for Your Jewelry
Keep it beautiful — for a lifetime and beyond
"Solid gold and natural gemstones are built to last — a little care goes a long way."
Your jewelry is built to last
All Jewelry Direct pieces are crafted in solid 14K or 18K gold with natural gemstones — materials that have stood the test of time for centuries. With simple, consistent care, your piece will look as beautiful in twenty years as the day it arrived. This guide covers everything you need to know.
Everyday Care
Solid gold is durable and largely low-maintenance. Most everyday wear is perfectly fine — but a few simple habits will keep your pieces looking their best long-term.
- Put your jewelry on last — after applying moisturizer, perfume, and hairspray
- Remove rings before working with your hands — cleaning, gardening, cooking, exercise
- Remove jewelry before bed to reduce stress on settings and clasps
- Wipe pieces gently with a soft, dry cloth after wearing to remove skin oils and residue
- Store each piece separately to prevent scratching
- Wearing jewelry while applying lotions, sunscreen, or beauty products
- Wearing rings during heavy lifting, sports, or manual work
- Spraying perfume directly onto jewelry
- Piling jewelry together in a drawer or bag where pieces can scratch each other
- Sleeping in necklaces or bracelets with delicate chains
The golden rule: Last on, first off. Put your jewelry on after your beauty routine and take it off before any activity involving harsh chemicals or heavy physical work. This single habit prevents the majority of wear and damage.
How to Clean Your Jewelry
Regular at-home cleaning keeps your jewelry bright between professional services. The method below is gentle, effective, and safe for solid gold and most natural gemstones.
Warm Water
Fill a small bowl with lukewarm water. Avoid hot water — it can loosen glue in settings on certain pieces.
Mild Soap
Add a drop of gentle dish soap or baby shampoo. Nothing with harsh chemicals, degreasers, or abrasives.
Soft Brush
Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to gently clean around settings, prongs, and any textured surfaces. Work in small, light circles.
Rinse & Dry
Rinse thoroughly under lukewarm running water. Pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth — never rub. Allow to fully air-dry before storing.
How often? A gentle clean every 2–4 weeks is ideal for pieces worn daily. For occasional-wear pieces, cleaning every few months is sufficient. Professional cleaning and inspection once a year is a good investment — we offer this as part of our warranty service.
Chemicals to Avoid
Solid gold is chemically stable, but certain substances can dull the finish, damage gemstones, or degrade the rhodium plating on white gold. These are the most common offenders to keep away from your jewelry.
Perfume & Hairspray
The alcohol and chemicals in perfume and hairspray can dull gold's surface and may affect gemstone clarity over time. Always apply these before putting on your jewelry.
Household Cleaners
Bleach, ammonia-based cleaners, and abrasive cleaning products can strip rhodium plating from white gold and damage softer gemstones. Remove jewelry before any cleaning tasks.
Sunscreen & Lotions
Sunscreen, body lotion, and hand cream can build up around settings and prongs, dulling the finish and clouding gemstones. Apply and allow to absorb before putting on jewelry.
Ultrasonic Cleaners
Home ultrasonic cleaners can loosen gemstone settings, crack certain stones, and damage more delicate constructions. We recommend the gentle hand-cleaning method above instead.
Storing Your Jewelry
How you store your jewelry between wearings is just as important as how you care for it while wearing it. The goal is to keep pieces separated, dry, and away from light and air where possible.
Use the Gift Box
The box your piece arrives in is designed for safe storage. Keep each piece in its own compartment or pouch to prevent scratching between items.
Store Separately
Even gold can scratch gold. Store pieces individually in soft pouches or lined compartments — never pile jewelry together in a drawer or bag.
Keep It Cool & Dry
Store jewelry away from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity. Bathrooms are not ideal — the humidity and temperature changes accelerate tarnish on alloy metals.
Hang Necklaces & Chains
Necklaces and delicate chains are best stored hanging or laid flat in a tray. Storing them coiled or bunched can cause kinks and tangles that are difficult to reverse.
White Gold Care
White gold naturally
warms over time
White gold is yellow gold alloyed with white metals (such as palladium or nickel) and finished with a coating of rhodium — a platinum-group metal that gives white gold its bright, silvery appearance.
Over time, with everyday wear, this rhodium coating gradually wears away, and the piece may begin to show a warmer, slightly yellowish tone underneath. This is completely normal — it is not a defect or a sign of poor quality. It's simply the nature of white gold.
Re-plating with rhodium is a quick, inexpensive service that fully restores the bright white finish. We offer this as part of our Lifetime Warranty service at no charge.
Rhodium re-plating is covered under our Free Lifetime Warranty — just contact us to arrange.
How quickly rhodium wears depends on your skin chemistry and how often the piece is worn. Most pieces need re-plating every 1–3 years.
Avoiding harsh chemicals and removing white gold jewelry before swimming or cleaning will significantly slow rhodium wear.
Yellow gold does not require plating and has no equivalent maintenance consideration — its color is inherent throughout the metal.
Caring for Gemstones
All colored gemstones in Jewelry Direct pieces are 100% natural and earth-mined. Different stones have different hardness levels and sensitivities — here's what you need to know for the most common stones in our collection.
Ruby & Sapphire
Corundum family — among the hardest gemstones (Mohs 9). Very durable for everyday wear. Safe to clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid prolonged exposure to strong chemicals. Rarely need special treatment.
Emerald
Beryl family (Mohs 7.5–8), but often has natural inclusions that require extra care. Clean gently with a soft damp cloth — avoid ultrasonic cleaners and steam. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Many emeralds are treated with oils; harsh cleaners strip this treatment.
Amethyst & Other Quartz
Quartz family (Mohs 7). Good everyday durability, but can fade with prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. Clean with warm soapy water. Store away from harder stones that could scratch the surface. Avoid strong UV light for extended periods.
Diamond
The hardest natural material (Mohs 10). Extremely durable for daily wear. However, diamonds do attract oils and grease, which can dull brilliance quickly. Regular cleaning with warm soapy water and a soft brush keeps them sparkling. Even diamonds can chip if struck at certain angles — handle with care.
General gemstone rule: When in doubt, the safest cleaning method for any natural gemstone is warm water, a drop of mild soap, and a soft toothbrush. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaners, and harsh chemical solutions unless you've confirmed they are safe for your specific stone.
Quick Reference
Your Jewelry Care Cheat Sheet
- Put jewelry on last, take it off first
- Wipe with a soft cloth after wearing
- Store each piece separately
- Clean gently with warm water & mild soap
- Have white gold re-plated when it warms
- Book a professional check-up once a year
- Perfume, hairspray & lotion contact
- Household cleaners & bleach
- Ultrasonic cleaners at home
- Sleeping or exercising in jewelry
- Storing pieces piled together
- A stone appears loose or is missing
- A clasp or closure isn't working properly
- You'd like your white gold re-plated
- A chain is kinked or a link is bent
- You'd like a professional clean & inspection
- You need a ring resize
Have a care question not covered here?
Our team is happy to advise on your specific piece. Reach out any time — we're available 7 days a week.
Contact Us Lifetime Warranty