Our Way of Work - Jewellery Care

Scratches:

Jewellery is made of relatively soft metals, so scratching is a perfectly normal phenomenon. The harder white gold alloys and the softer yellow or red alloys, and even platinum can easily become scratched while being worn. This phenomenon is especially common in the case of rings, bracelets and cuff links. Pendants, earrings, brooches, necklaces and the like are less likely to be exposed to abrasions and scratches while being worn. Damages in these items are more likely to occur as a result of careless handling or inefficient storage.

Scratches or deep abrasions only occur outside the normal use of such pieces.

The surface of jewellery is either given a polished or a matte finish so fine scratches are likely to appear, just like fingerprints. As part of our service we offer a complimentary renewal of the surfaces of our jewellery pieces every year. This service is free of charge. (The client is only required to organise and/or pay for delivery).

Damages to stones: Precious stones have various physical and chemical characteristics, that is, they are not only defined by their colour and value, but their hardness and possible cleavage are also important in the medium term. Care needs to be taken especially with choosing precious stones and pearls used in rings, cuff links and bracelets. Softer stones are more susceptible to harm, but harder stones may also become damaged, especially the faceted corners and edges of faceted stones. The settings are responsible for the secure fixing of stones. In our jewellery designs, we strive to provide as much protection for stones as possible, however there are some very interesting and special designs where focus is more on style and less on protection from physical harm.

The damages on precious stones do not visibly influence the appearance of jewellery in the medium term, but in the long run they can significantly detract from the jewellery pieces' beauty. Polishing stones once they have been set is quite a complicated process. Scratch removal and re-polishing of stones entails a slight decrease in weight and size. The resetting of stones requires the renewal of the settings, sometimes even the rebuilding of the setting before the stone is reset. This process is complicated, time consuming, but well worth the work if the precious stone is just the shadow of its former self, as this process can restore it so it to being almost as good as new. However, it is best to prevent such problems by taking care during the wear and storage of set stones.

It is possible for some precious stones (such as diamonds or topaz) to fracture. This is very rare, especially with diamonds. If the stone suffers a heavy impact on a certain point and from a certain angle, it can fracture which completely destroys it. In most cases, the stone can be replaced, but not restored.

The safety of precious stones: The securing of precious stones is not done by unprofessional gluing or the use of machines, as is the practice with mass produced jewellery. Rather, it is rather carried out under a precision microscope as miniature art, with high precision and meticulous design. This care and attention would make mass produced jewellery very expensive, but we hold quality to be of utmost importance in our jewellery specialities.

The secure setting of stones is one of the most important aspects in the careful choosing of materials for Brilldor jewellery. We have heard of stones being lost after falling out of settings, but in our designs we reduce the chance of this happening to a minimum. This is why we work with special materials and an outstanding stone setter (link to stone-setting section). In a few cases, especially when we use stones that might fracture (such as diamonds), if a great number of stones are set onto a surface, some damage is inevitable as the fractured stones may fall out. The replacement of these is neither expensive nor challenging, and once restored the damage is unnoticeable.

The care of pearls: Pearls are water based precious stones, much like opals. Therefore, in the long-term, one of greatest threats is that they may become dehydrated which may lead to loss of lustre and cracking. In addition, pearls are susceptible to the corrosive effects of perfumes, sprays, perspiration, so when preparing for a special event, one can easily contaminate their surface with make-up, perfume or hairspray and if this is repeated several times without cleaning, it can lessen the beauty of the pearls.

We recommend that pearl jewellery be put on after make-up and styling, and taken off immediately after an event. It is advisable to clean pearls with a damp cloth before putting them away, which not only cleans but also helps by rehydrating the pearls, especially if the pearls are stored with a damp cloth. Soaking is not advisable. as it leads to the loosening of pearls. When pearls are strung, glue is used to secure the beads onto the metal wire. The life expectancy of this is by no means infinite, so it is a good idea to renew the fastening of the pearls as well from time to time. Moreover, pearls are relatively soft so their beauty can easily be tarnished by outside influences. It is worth taking special care of them. Larger pearls are less vulnerable, and, in the long run, a protective design can significantly help the preservation of the beauty and value of pearl jewellery.

Jewellery care: Most jewellery pieces are not exposed to particularly destructive influences. It is rather during the storage of jewellery that special care has to be taken. It is important that various pieces of jewellery should not touch each other when stored as the microscopic scratches are quite visible on their perfectly polished surface. Noticeable fingerprints can be wiped off with a soft, non- scratching cloth, such as microfibre cloths for glasses or special jewellery polishing cloths. The use of chemicals can harm pearls, opals and other precious stones, so it is advisable to use specially formulated jewellery cleaners (pearl cleaners, gemstone cleaners, gold cleaners, silver cleaning liquid) applied with a soft cloth. Ultrasonic cleaners are especially effective. These machines use a solution of degreaser and distilled water to clean jewellery. We are happy to provide thorough advice on the chemicals and the temperature settings to use. Please note: not all gemstones or pearls can be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaning device. The polishing of jewellery with cloths and chemicals only removes the dirt from pieces which greatly improves the appearance of gemstones, but does not restore or improve the condition of metal surfaces, except for the tarnished discolouration of silver (link). We offer a special 7 step professional cleaning service that results in the metal surfaces become virtually as good as new, but this process cannot be done at home.

Our Way of Work - Jewellery Care

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