Wearing jewelry is a privilege which comes with the responsibility of maintaining its beauty and treating it with the care and diligence it deserves.

Try to protect all jewelry from scratches, sharp blows, harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures and excessive exposure to sunlight. When you wear a piece of jewelry, it’s important that it be sturdy enough to hold up for everyday wear. Whether it’s a ring, bracelet, earring or necklace, your jewelry should be able to withstand regular use.

Jewelry Hardness: How Gemstones and Jewelry are Scratched

Hardness is based on an industry standard called the Mohs scale. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone is. The highest Mohs scale rating is 10 (diamonds). Anything with a Mohs scale rating of less than 7 is easily scratched. Most metals and gemstones fall into the range of easily scratched. For example, Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2-1/2 to 4. Most metals and stones are very easily scratched so it is crucial to maintain the integrity of your jewelry by adhering to the tips below:

Tips

• Store jewelry separately so it doesn’t scratch other jewelry.
• When doing household tasks such as gardening and cleaning, be certain to remove rings.
• Put your jewelry on only after washing and applying any makeup/hair spray.
• Take off jewelry before swimming in a swimming pool. The chlorine can cause damage to various gemstones and gold. Gemstones may become loose in their settings (and possibly fall out).
• Prior to engaging in high impact sports take off your jewelry as you may scratch the metal or chip the gemstones.
• Avoid storing your jewelry next to a heating vent, window sill or on a car dashboard.
• Store jewelry away from sunlight as the sun may fade the gemstones.
• Always store bead necklaces (such as lapis, pearls, etc) flat as silk stretches over time. When knotted necklaces stretch, it really detracts from their beauty.
• Check Jewelry Ring Mounts
  (Be certain that stones mounted in rings are not loose or rattle. The prongs of some rings do wear down. If the prongs wear down too much or break, you may lose the stone. Prongs are easily “retipped” by most jewelers to keep the stone secure).
• Do NOT store your pearl jewelry in plastic bags!
• Store silver jewelry in plastic bags with an interlocking seal, it will be less prone to tarnish.