Proper care ensures your jewellery remains beautiful for years to come. At Legacy Magics, we believe that understanding how to maintain your precious pieces is essential for preserving their beauty and extending their lifespan. Our comprehensive care guide provides expert advice for keeping your jewellery in pristine condition.

General Care Guidelines

These fundamental practices apply to most jewellery types and will help maintain their appearance and structural integrity:

- Wear Wisely: Always remove jewellery before showering, swimming, exercising, cleaning, or applying cosmetics, perfumes, and lotions. Chemicals and moisture can damage metals and gemstones.

- Last On, First Off: Make jewellery the last thing you put on when getting dressed and the first thing you remove when undressing to minimize exposure to cosmetics and perfumes.

- Separate Storage: Store pieces individually in soft-lined compartments or pouches to prevent scratching and tangling. Consider using anti-tarnish strips in your jewellery box.

- Regular Cleaning: Gently clean your jewellery regularly using appropriate methods for each material type (detailed below).

- Professional Maintenance: Have valuable pieces professionally cleaned and inspected annually to ensure settings remain secure and identify any issues before they worsen.

- Avoid Harsh Conditions: Protect jewellery from extreme temperature changes, direct sunlight, and high humidity, which can affect certain gemstones and metals.

## Material-Specific Care

### Gold Jewellery

- Cleaning Solution: Mix mild dish soap with warm water. Soak for 15-20 minutes.
- Cleaning Method: Gently brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush, especially around settings and crevices.
- Rinsing: Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water to remove all soap residue.
- Drying: Pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth, then allow to air dry completely before storing.
- Polishing: Use a jeweller's cloth specifically designed for gold to restore shine.
- Avoid: Chlorine, which can damage gold alloys and cause discoloration.

Silver Jewellery

- Preventing Tarnish: Store in anti-tarnish bags or with anti-tarnish strips when not being worn.
- Regular Wearing: Ironically, wearing your silver regularly helps prevent tarnishing, as the natural oils in your skin help maintain its luster.
- Cleaning Tarnish: Use a silver polishing cloth or silver cleaning solution specifically designed for jewellery.
- Gentle Cleaning: For light cleaning, use warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap and a soft cloth.
- Drying Thoroughly: Always ensure silver is completely dry before storing to prevent tarnish formation.
- Avoid: Rubber, chlorinated water, and sulfur-containing materials (wool, felt, food like eggs and onions).

Gemstone Care

- Diamond: While diamonds are extremely hard, they can still chip if struck at the right angle. Clean with mild soap solution and a soft brush.
- Sapphire & Ruby: Durable stones that can be cleaned with mild soap solution. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners if stones have been treated.
- Emerald: More delicate and often treated with oils. Clean only with a damp cloth and mild soap, avoiding soaking.
- Pearl: Extremely delicate. Wipe with a soft cloth after wearing to remove oils and perfume. Never use ultrasonic cleaners or harsh chemicals.
- Opal: Contains water and can crack if allowed to dry out. Avoid heat and clean only with a damp cloth.
- Topaz, Amethyst & Citrine: Clean with mild soap solution but avoid prolonged sunlight exposure which can fade colors.

Specialized Care Techniques

Chain Necklaces and Bracelets

- Preventing Tangles: Fasten clasps before storage and consider using individual jewelry pouches.
- Untangling: Use a straight pin to gently separate knots, never pull forcefully.
- Cleaning Links: Use a soft brush to reach between links where dirt accumulates.

Earrings

- Backing Care: Clean earring backs regularly as they collect skin cells and oils.
- Post Maintenance: Disinfect posts occasionally with alcohol, especially for sensitive ears.
- Storage: Keep pairs together in compartmentalized containers or dedicated earring holders.

Rings

- Removing Safely: Avoid pulling from the stone or detailed metalwork; instead, grasp the band.
- Size Fluctuations: Remember that fingers can change size with temperature, time of day, and weight fluctuations.
- Activity Considerations: Remove rings during hand-intensive activities to prevent damage and deformation.

Professional Cleaning Recommendations

While regular at-home maintenance is essential, professional cleaning provides benefits that cannot be achieved with home methods:

- Deep Ultrasonic Cleaning: Removes dirt from inaccessible areas (for appropriate gemstones only)
- Professional Polishing: Restores original luster without removing excessive metal
- Setting Inspection: Identifies and tightens loose stones before they're lost
- Prong Assessment: Evaluates wear on prongs that secure gemstones
- Clasp Evaluation: Checks security of clasps and closure mechanisms

We recommend professional cleaning and inspection annually for frequently worn pieces and every two years for occasional pieces.

By following these comprehensive care guidelines, your Gemma Bloom jewellery will maintain its beauty and structural integrity for generations to come, becoming treasured heirlooms that carry both beauty and memories.