Jewellery Care & Maintenance
GENERAL GUIDELINES
To ensure that fine jewellery retains its beauty and value as a treasured family heirloom, proper care is essential. As a general guideline, it's advisable to put on jewellery last when getting dressed and remove it first at the end of the day. However, daily exposure to various substances and activities can potentially harm jewellery, such as cosmetics, prolonged sunlight, water, perfumes, and household chemicals. Therefore, it's highly recommended to remove all jewellery before coming into contact with any of these substances.
To prevent damage, it's best to let skincare products such as makeup, lotions, or oils dry completely before wearing jewellery. Additionally, wearing jewellery during physical activities such as sports, cooking, or gardening is not advised, as sudden impact or knocks can cause damage.
To maintain the integrity of jewellery, it's important to regularly check the settings and clasps for security. These can become loose over time, resulting in the loss of gemstones or even the entire jewel. If any loose claws or fastenings are noticed, the piece should not be worn, and it should be taken to the nearest jeweller for checking and repair.
Jewellery Care Guidelines
Diamond Jewellery Care
Diamonds can easily attract grease from substances like hand lotions and oils, which can dull their surface. To prevent this, always remove diamond jewellery before applying such substances.
Gemstone Jewellery Care
Many gemstones, including emerald, peridot, tanzanite, and tourmaline, are brittle and can be chipped if they experience a sharp knock - even diamond can chip under certain circumstances. Therefore, it's important to take care when wearing pieces during certain activities to prevent damage.
Pearl Jewellery Care
To maintain their delicate appearance, pearls require special care. At Gafla, we string our pearl jewellery with the finest threads, ensuring both strength and elegance. However, frequent wear can cause the string to stretch and loosen, so we suggest having your pearls professionally restrung once a year.
Cosmetics, perfumes, and sprays can harm pearls, so it's best to wear them only after such substances have dried. When removing pearls, use a cloth to gently wipe away any residue.
Pearls should also be kept away from water, sunlight, and extreme temperatures as these can weaken the threads. Additionally, pearls are susceptible to being scratched by other gemstones and metals, so they should be stored separately like all other gemstone jewellery.
Jewellery Storage
To prevent scratches and damage, it's important to store your jewellery properly. Some gemstones, especially diamonds, can scratch other gemstones and precious metals if they come into contact. Therefore, we recommend storing your jewellery separately in a compartmentalised box, or in its original Gafla case or pouch, and not worn touching each other.
Jewellery should be stored in cool, dry temperatures away from direct sunlight. Exposure to sunlight and extreme temperatures can cause damage to gemstones and precious metals, as well as fading and discolouration. It's important to avoid storing jewellery in humid areas, as this can cause tarnishing.
By storing your jewellery correctly, you can help maintain its appearance and avoid any unnecessary damage or scratches.
Jewellery Cleaning
To maintain the appearance of your gold and gemstone jewellery, it's important to take care of it on a daily basis. Daily wear can gradually dull the surfaces of these precious pieces, and that's why Galla recommends having your jewellery professionally cleaned at least once a year.
While it's easy to clean most jewellery at home, we do not recommend the use of personal ultrasonic cleaning machines as it can cause damage to some gemstones. Instead, you can use a mild liquid soap and a small soft brush in lukewarm water to clean your jewellery at home. Rinse and gently pat dry with a cloth, taking care not to clean jewellery in a sink to avoid any stones coming loose and getting lost down the plughole. A small bowl or container is best for this purpose.
