Jewellery Care
6 QUICK WAYS TO CARE FOR YOUR JEWELLERY
1. Your jewellery should be the last thing you put on, and the first thing you take off.
2. Remove your jewellery before sports, cleaning, or swimming.
3. Store jewellery separately to avoid damage.
4. Clean your jewellery gently with mild soap and water or return it to one of our stores for an ultrasonic clean.
5. Have frequently worn pieces inspected annually by a professional, where any issues can be caught early.
6. Preventative care is always the best approach when maintaining your jewellery.
Avoid Chemicals
The chemicals found in cleaning products, chlorine, perfumes, hairspray, beauty products, sea water, soaps, and shower gels can dull metals, loosen settings, or contribute to tarnishing in some jewellery metals.
In many cases, tarnish or dullness can be reversed with proper cleaning, although heavy tarnish may require professional cleaning to fully restore the appearance. We advise that you return your piece to us for this service.
Top tip: We recommend removing your jewellery before applying make-up, perfumes, or doing any cleaning. Wipe your jewellery gently after wear, as everyday substances can encounter your piece without you even noticing.
Clean Periodically
Gemstone jewellery can accumulate oils, lotions, or dust around the setting, which may reduce sparkle. For most metal jewellery and gemstones, mild soap mixed with warm water and a soft, non-abrasive cloth can help remove oils and dirt.
Seek professional advice before attempting home cleaning. We would not advise soaking delicate gemstones such as pearls, opals, and emeralds in soapy water, as this may require specialist care. This also applies to ultrasonic cleaning, where these gemstones would not be suitable.
Top tip: Ultrasonic cleaning is available in our Clogau Stores, where you can have this service and seek advice.
Remove Before Physical Activities
To help avoid dents or scratches, we recommend removing your jewellery before engaging in activities where it could be knocked or damaged, such as gardening, DIY, or sports.
Clogau wedding bands and engagement rings are typically designed with durability in mind for everyday wear, but they should still be treated with care to help prevent scratching or denting.
For a little extra care, remove your jewellery before swimming or getting into a hot tub, as this risks tarnish. Salt water is corrosive and can cause lasting damage.
Top tip: Cold water can shrink your fingers, causing a risk of rings falling off and being lost.
Wedding Rings
Wedding rings are often designed for everyday wear and are typically more robust in design than highly decorative rings.
Clogau wedding bands and engagement rings are specified as such and are designed with continuous wear in mind. We would not recommend wearing dress pieces as your wedding band or engagement ring, to better protect your jewellery.
Provided your ring fits securely, it may be worn whilst sleeping or during activities such as showering or washing hands. However, it is recommended to dry your ring thoroughly afterwards.
To help prevent damage, we advise removing your wedding or engagement ring before engaging in sports or heavy manual activities. In addition to potential damage to the ring, finger injuries whilst wearing rings may result in swelling that makes ring removal difficult.
Top tip: Check the fit of your ring, as this may change over time due to temperature fluctuations, pregnancy, or weight change. This will help prevent loss of your piece. Clogau offers a ring resizing service on many of our rings if required. Simply pop into one of our Stores, and you can have your finger sized.
White Gold Rings
White gold is an alloy made by combining gold with other metals such as nickel, palladium, or silver.
Without plating, white gold has a pale yellowy appearance. For this reason, white gold jewellery is commonly finished with rhodium plating, which gives the metal its bright white appearance and improves surface durability.
Over time, rhodium plating may gradually wear away and may require re-plating to maintain the original finish. We offer this service at Clogau.
Top tip: Regular cleaning with a soft cloth, correct storage, and avoiding exposure to harsh chemicals can help maintain the shine of white gold jewellery.
Watches
Clogau timepieces have varying levels of water resistance, typically ranging from 3 ATM to 10 ATM. Your watch's ATM rating can be found in the product description.
Typical guidance for these ratings is:
- 3 ATM – splash resistant (rain or hand washing)
- 5 ATM – suitable for showering
- 10 ATM – suitable for swimming
Top tip: To help keep your watch performing well, we recommend periodic servicing. This service is available through Clogau.
Storing Your Jewellery
To help prevent scratching and tarnish, we recommend storing jewellery in a clean, cool, and dry environment, ideally in anti-tarnish boxes designed for jewellery storage. The addition of anti-tarnish strips may also help reduce tarnishing by absorbing airborne compounds that contribute to tarnish. Clogau presentation boxes are intended for gifting only.
If possible, store pieces separately to avoid them damaging each other, especially jewellery made from different metals.
Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring material commonly used in jewellery and can scratch metals such as gold, silver, and platinum if stored together. Keep diamond jewellery stored separately.
Top tip: Keep your jewellery storage out of direct sunlight and away from environments with excess humidity, such as your bathroom.
Take Off Before Sleep
For the best care, remove jewellery before sleeping, as this will help reduce wear and preserve appearance.
In sleep, chains can become tangled or stretched, ring settings may catch on bedding, or affinity bracelets may be caught and snap.
Wedding rings may be worn whilst sleeping if they fit securely and comfortably. Ensure your ring is not too tight to cause swelling or discomfort, and not loose enough to slip off during the night.
Jewellery Care FAQs
Pearls are organic gemstones formed from layers of nacre. Because nacre is relatively soft, pearls can be sensitive to chemicals, acids, and dehydration.
Perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, and frequent exposure to perspiration may contribute to discolouration or surface damage.
Avoid applying perfume near pearl jewellery and avoid soaking pearls or cleaning them with standard jewellery cleaners.
Store pearls in a cool, dry environment away from direct sunlight.
Jewellery experts can spot issues early before they lead to further damage, such as loose stones, stretched chains, worn claws, or broken clasps. Regular inspections are an investment in the longevity of your jewellery.
A stretched chain, often due to wear and tear, is the most common type of jewellery damage, and unchecked the chain can break, leading to loss. Causes can be from snagging on clothing, exposure to everyday chemicals, or poor storage habits.
Return your jewellery to us, and we can professionally check it at a small cost.
All Clogau jewellery is manufactured to comply with relevant regulations governing nickel release in jewellery. However, some individuals may still have sensitivities to certain metals.
Skin irritation may also occur if jewellery is worn too tightly, as moisture, soap residue, or cleaning products can become trapped beneath the item. This may cause irritation that resembles an allergic reaction and is quite common with weddings bands that are not taken off and do not fit correctly.
Discolouration or tarnish can occur when jewellery metals react with chemicals, moisture, or compounds present in the environment.
Silver jewellery is particularly prone to tarnish when exposed to sulphur compounds in the air. Many silver jewellery pieces are rhodium plated to help reduce tarnishing, although proper care is still required.
Removing jewellery before swimming, cleaning, or applying cosmetics can help preserve its appearance.
The lowest clarity grade offered in Compose by Clogau rings is SI1.
Inclusions in SI1 diamonds are usually difficult to see without magnification. If your diamond appears cloudy, this is often caused by oils, lotions, or residue on the stone or around the setting. These deposits can usually be removed through cleaning.
Diamonds are extremely hard but can still chip if struck at certain angles.
If you believe your diamond may be damaged, our team can inspect it for you.
If you’re on the move, think about how you will store your jewellery to prevent damage. Jewellery rolls are a secure and convenient way to protect and organise your jewellery. Our Travel Jewellery Cases are perfectly designed for this.
For DIY solutions, small tins, pill organisers, or soft pouches with cotton or felt can provide cushioning and separation for your jewellery.
Cold enamel is a resin-based decorative material.
Whilst it does not tarnish like metals, it can become stained or discoloured when exposed to substances such as fake tan, perfumes, or cosmetics.
If discolouration occurs, remove the jewellery, clean it carefully, and store it properly.