Baroque Rocks’ Guide to Caring for Gold Jewellery and Delicate Gemstones
Written by Baroque Rocks
While Baroque Rocks’ Jewellery Care Guide covers the golden rules of everyday jewellery wear, this article explores more specific gold and gemstone care tips, from layering gold correctly to protecting delicate stones such as emeralds, pearls and opals.
Jewellery care is an art in itself, and when it comes to gold jewellery and precious gemstones, a little knowledge goes a long way. At Baroque Rocks, we could happily prattle on for hours about this marvellous subject, but here is a short collection of essential jewellery care tips to help protect your glittering treasures.
Gold Glorious Gold: Layering Gold Jewellery
Layering necklaces, rings and bracelets is a wonderfully glamorous look — particularly if you fancy channelling a little B.A. Baracus from the A-Team. However, when layering gold jewellery, Baroque Rocks recommends wearing pieces of similar gold carat weight together. For example, pair 18-carat gold with 18-carat gold or 9-carat gold with 9-carat gold. This prevents a harder, lower-carat gold from rubbing against a softer, higher-carat gold and causing scratches or abrasion to the surface.
Emerald Jewellery Care
Few gemstones possess the chic elegance of an Emerald, but this beauty comes with a little delicacy. Emeralds are softer than many gemstones and can be scratched or chipped if treated roughly. These verdant jewels also contain natural inclusions and oils. If Emeralds become overly dry they may develop tiny fractures, which is why many jewellers recommend that emerald jewellery is professionally re-oiled every few years to maintain its lustre and stability.
Caring for Soft Gemstones
Some gemstones are particularly delicate and should always be handled with care. Emerald, Kunzite, Opal, Pearl, Peridot, Tanzanite and Tourmaline are all considered softer gemstones, meaning they can scratch or chip more easily than harder stones such as Diamonds or Sapphires. When wearing or storing jewellery containing these gemstones, it is best to avoid contact with harder stones and always store them separately.
Pearl Jewellery Care
Pearls are among the most elegant of all gemstones, but they are also one of the most delicate. Because Pearls are organic gems, they can easily be scratched or damaged by harder stones. Pearl jewellery should therefore be stored separately in a soft pouch or lined jewellery box. One important note: Pearls should never be sealed inside a plastic bag, as they need a small amount of air and humidity to maintain their natural lustre.
It is also wise to check that Pearl necklaces are properly strung and not at risk of suddenly running free. Should your Pearls require a little attention, Baroque Rocks offers a professional Pearl re-stringing service to keep them looking their best.
With a little thoughtful g=Gold and gemstone care, your jewels will remain as radiant as the day you first wore them — ensuring they continue to sparkle beautifully for generations.
Top Tip: To add another shimmer to your Magpie intellect, read on here “Baroque Rocks’ Guide to Storing Jewellery”