Caring for fine jewellery at home

Diamonds attract grease. It is the single reason a stone that sparkled in the shop looks flat three weeks later, and it has nothing to do with quality. A film of hand cream and skin oil on the pavilion stops light returning through the stone.

The weekly clean

Warm water, a drop of plain washing-up liquid, and a soft toothbrush. Brush the back of the stone, not the front — that is where the film sits. Rinse, and dry with a lint-free cloth. Two minutes, and it will do more for the appearance of a diamond than anything else you can buy.

Do this over a bowl rather than an open drain. We have all heard the story; some of us have lived it.

What to avoid

• Ultrasonic cleaners on anything with emeralds, opals, pearls or a treated stone — they can shatter or strip them
• Chlorine, which attacks the alloys in gold over time; take rings off before a pool or a hot tub
• Toothpaste, a widely repeated tip that is mildly abrasive and will dull a polished surface
• Storing pieces loose together, where a diamond will happily scratch everything else in the box

Tarnish on silver

Tarnish is a surface reaction with sulphur in the air, not corrosion, and it wipes off with a silver cloth. Pieces that are worn regularly barely tarnish at all. If something is going away for months, an airtight bag removes almost all of it.

Do not use dip solutions on anything with a deliberately oxidised finish — they will strip the darkened recesses that give a planished surface its depth.

When to bring it in

Once a year for anything worn daily with a stone in it. We check the setting under magnification, look for the early signs of a prong wearing thin, and re-polish. This is included for life on everything we make, and it is the single best way to avoid losing a stone.

In between: if a stone rattles, or you can catch a prong on a jumper, stop wearing it and send us a message the same day.