Care
Most damage is chlorine, a shared pouch, or a prong nobody checked.
Take a ring off for the gym, for chlorine, and for anything with bleach or cream cleanser. Diamonds are hard and they scratch gold, other gems, and glass. Store pieces separately, not in one pouch.
Wash gold, platinum, and diamond jewelry in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap and a soft brush. Rinse and dry. Do not boil, and do not use toothpaste.
18k white gold is plated with rhodium so it looks white. The plate thins over a year or two of wear, and a warmer color shows at the edges. Replating is a normal service, not a repair of a fault. Yellow and rose gold are not plated. Their color is the metal.
Emeralds are often oiled. Hot water, ultrasonics, and steam can pull the oil out and make inclusions look worse. Pearls, opal, and turquoise should not be soaked. If a listing names a treatment, follow the care line on that listing. Diamonds, sapphires, and rubies that are untreated or only heated tolerate soap and water.
Once a year, have the prongs looked at, especially on a ring you wear daily. A thin prong is the usual reason a stone is lost. If you are in a city where we can recommend a bench, ask. Otherwise any jeweler with a microscope can check them.
