The jewels you can find in our showcases are mostly made of 18-carat gold and gemstones. Some, especially the oldest ones, may be made of platinum and others of silver and gold.

Each material has its specificities, some oxidize, others have a patina. To preserve and maintain the brilliance of your jewelry, Pierres de Julie offers you a small maintenance guide.

 

Facts to know :

Whether your jewelry is made of gold, silver or platinum, set with gemstones or pearls, it is important to adopt good reflexes to preserve them.

Over the night, remember to remove your jewelry. Store them in separate cases to avoid rubbing between them.

During the day, if you are doing housework or gardening, we advise you to remove your rings because you could knock or scratch your jewelry.

If you are an athlete, it is necessary to remove your necklaces, bracelets and rings before your session to avoid shocks or the loss of your jewelry.

As a general rule, avoid sudden temperature changes for your jewelry with gemstones or organic materials.

 

Gold:

To maintain your gold jewelry, you must differentiate between yellow or rose gold and white gold.

If the first two are easily maintained, the third will require a polishing / rhodium plating at your jeweler's regularly.

For all three types of gold and for each type of alloy, Pierres de Julie advises you to immerse your jewelry in soapy water for one or two minutes and then gently scrub the metal and the set stones with a toothbrush (preferably soft).

After that, rinse the jewel and dry it by placing it on absorbent paper.

On a daily basis, you can use a soft cloth to polish the surface of the metal or clean the stones from fingerprints. This step is done in addition to regular deep cleaning.

Platinum:

Platinum had a higher financial cost than gold, however, this does not mean that it is more resistant.

Note that platinum, unlike white gold, does not have a patina and remains white throughout its life. It will still need to be maintained by your jeweler from time to time: an express polish will smooth the surface to make it even more brilliant.

As with gold, cleaning at home can be done with a toothbrush and hot soapy water.

 

Silver:

Silver jewelry is affected by oxidation. There are specific products to maintain this metal without damaging it.

A cleaning similar to gold and platinum is recommended, but this will not maintain the original shine of the silver.

Some old-fashioned tricks work particularly well on silver, such as using lemon, baking soda or fireplace ashes as a cleaning agent. If this has an immediate effect, you must remain vigilant, not doing it too often to avoid scratching or damaging the metal.

 

Gemstones :

Diamond, sapphire, ruby, tourmaline, peridot, garnet, topaz, quartz, amethyst, citrine, rhodochrosite ... Each stone will need special care depending on its hardness. For cleaning, a soft, slightly damp cloth will do. Hot soapy water will help get rid of dust in the basket that supports the stone.

 

There are some exceptions to this:

For emerald, which is one of the 4 precious stones, you will have to be extremely careful about shocks. Indeed, this stone is generally very included, and this makes it fragile.

Once again, soapy water will be perfect for cleaning, however the toothbrush is not recommended and you should not dry your stone with a heat source! Air drying is best for emeralds.

For pearls or opals, which are materials that have a percentage of water in their composition, you should be careful to leave them in a humid environment.

To maintain them: you have to wear them! The darkness of a closet will be harmful for these materials, if you have to put them away you will have to put a wet cotton or a glass of water next to their storage boxes.

Concerning cleaning, don't succumb to preconceived ideas: natural oil (olive/coconut/almond) will only trap more dust on the sometimes porous surfaces of your gems. Water is the best ally for pearls and opals!

 

Our personalized advice:

At Pierres de Julie, we recommend simplicity!

Let's avoid too aggressive products, a toothbrush and hot soapy water should be enough to clean your jewelry, except in exceptional cases. We can also recommend an ultrasonic cleaning every six months, which will remove all the dust in depth from all your settings.

We advise against following instructions found on social networks: foundation, corrosive products or others... If it helps to make the jewel shine for a short period of time, it will end up damaging it over time!

Following the coronavirus pandemic, many of you are wondering about the reaction of metal to hydroalcoholic gel.

 

Concerning gold, platinum or silver jewelry:

If by accident the liquid has come into contact with the metal; don't worry! Once or twice, it will not damage it. However, it remains a corrosive and very aggressive agent: we advise you to be careful and to remove your jewelry before applying it, then to dry your hands properly before putting them back on. Note that pearls, opals, coral and turquoise are fragile materials that do not appreciate the alcohol present in hydroalcoholic gels, so be sure to remove your rings before spraying.

 

For the fancy jewelry:

Stainless steel, iron, zinc or any other material used for costume design will be much more sensitive to hydroalcoholic gel. You must be careful not to apply the gel on it.

The best thing to do is to surround yourself with professionals; they can advise you on the maintenance and preservation of your treasures! In addition, having a good address on hand will allow you to have your jewelry polished or rhodium plated regularly in a trusted workshop.

 

Julie Mialet offers you a follow-up for the jewels bought at " Pierres de Julie ". A question, a request? By email, by call or in store, the team is available to answer you as soon as possible.

Have you found the perfect piece of jewelry in our showcases? Before the sale, you will receive all the necessary explanations for the maintenance of this piece.

We are also available for any free expertise of your jewelry, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.