DIAMONDS

Tips for General Care

Even though your wear your diamonds 24 hours a day, you should still give thought to its care:

• Don't wear it when you're doing rough work. Even though a diamond is durable, it can be chipped by a hard blow.
• Don't let your diamond come in contact with a chlorine bleach when you,re doing household chores.It can pit and discolor the mounting.
• Do see your jeweler at least once a year and have them check your ring and other precious pieces for loose prongs and wear of mountings. They ,ll usually give them a professional "shine-up" too.

Traveling with Diamonds

The packing of your diamond and other precious pieces for the travel should be given care:

• There are many types of carry-alls, especially designed for jewelry travel, available in all price ranges. They come in all sizes, shapes and patterns. Most have velvet pads inside to attach pins and earrings, and special compartments for the bracelets and necklaces.
• Pack a small plastic bottle of prepared jewelry cleaner with your cosmetics. Then you can give your precious quick "shine-up" at any time.
• Don't leave your ring on the rim of a sink when you remove it to wash your hands. It can easily slip down te drain. When you're away from home, you can leave it and lose it.

Cleaning Your Diamonds

Diamonds get smudge and soiled and dusty. Lotions, powders, soaps , even the natural skin oils, put a film on diamonds and cut down their brillance. Chemicals in the air can discolor the mounting of precious jewelry.

Clean diamonds "glow" because the maximum amount of light can then enter and return in a fiery brilliance. it takes just a little care to keep them that way. Here are four ways to clean diamonds. One of the them is pretty sure to fit the time , place, and the job:

• Detergent Bath

Prepare a small bowl of warm suds with any of the mild liquid detergents used in the home. Brush the pieces with an eyebrow brush while they are in the suds. Then transfer them to a wire tea strainer and rinse them under running water. Pat dry with a soft lintless cloth.

• Cold Water Soak

Make a half-and-hal solution of the cold water and household ammonia in a cup.Soak the pieces 30 minutes. Lift out and tap gently around the back and front of the mounting with an old soft toothbrush. Swish in the solution once more and drain on tissue paper.

Buy one of the brand name liquid jewelry cleaners, with its kit, choosing the kind most useful to you. Read the label and follow instructions. Don't touch your clean diamonds with your fingers. Handle your jewelry by its edges.

• Ultrasonic Cleaner

There are many types of these small machines on the martket that will clean any piece of jewerly that can be dunked in a liquid in a matter of minutes. They consist of a metal cup which you fill with water and detergent. When the machine is turned on , a high-frequency turbulence creates the cleaning action . Since each machine is slightly different, read the instructions very carefull before use.

PEARLS

Tips for General Care

• Put on pearls after applying cosmetics, hair sprays and perfume.
• Don't toss them carelessly into a purse or jewel box where they can be scratched by hard metal edges or harder stones.
• Place cultured pearl jewelry in a chamois bag or wrap them in tissue when putting them away.
• Bring your pearls back to your jeweler for retringing one a year .Cosmetics and ordinary wear weaken and stretch the threads on which the pearls are strung. It's better to be safe than sorry.
• Have pearls strung with a knot between each pearl. This wil prevent loss of pearls if the string should break.

Cleaning Your Cultured Pearls

• Don't clean cultured pearls with chemicals or abrasives
• Wash them with mild soap and water after taking them off. This will remove all traces of perfume, cosmetics, or hairn spray from the pearls.

GOLD

Here are some simple tips to preserve the lasting beauty of your karat gold jewelry:

• Always separate your gold jewerly in a compartmentalized jewel box. This protects against scratching.
• Remove all 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 occasions your pieces will need to be cleaned.

CLeaning Your Karat Gold Jewelry

• To clean your jewelry at home, you'll find many commercial cleaner available. Ask your professional jeweler to recommend one for your jewelry. In addition, you will find a soft chamois cloth from any hardware store an effective and inexpensive way to keep your pieces lustrous and shining.
• For certain gold jewelry, an "ultrasonic" cleaning machine may be appropriate. The machine can be purchased in many retail outlets. Once again, ask your professional jeweler to advise you.
• Remove tarnish with a prepared jewelry cleaner or by using soap and water mixed with a few drops of ammonia
• Brush with a soft bristle bush. An old toothbrush is perfect. After the soaping, simply rinse with lukewarm water and allow to dry.
• Grease can be removed from karat gold jewelry by dipping the jewelry into rubbing alcohol.

Useful Tips

• Remove jewelry when applying makeup and face powder.
• Wash hands after applying makeup and powder and before putting on jewelry.
• Keep your jewelry in a dry place.