It’s so important to properly clean and care for your fine jewelry! This helps maintain your special pieces for years to come. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Clean on a Regular Basis - Use a small dish with warm water and gentle cleaning solution specifically made for jewelry. Fill with warm water and soak your jewels. Using a soft bristle brush, gently brush away any dirt or lotions that have become trapped. If you have any loose stones, be careful! You don’t want to throw away the diamonds with the dishwater! Rinse and pat dry with a soft cloth. You can purchase our specially made jewelry cleaner HERE.
2. Ultrasonic Cleaners - You can find ultrasonic cleaners suitable for home use on website like Amazon. These can be great for a deep clean but often a few rounds in a small dish with a light bruising can get the same result. Ultrasonic cleaners can shake loose stones which then requires a trip to see me for repairs! If using an ultrasonic cleaner at home, be sure to check the jewelry thoroughly for any missing stones and retrieve any stones at the bottom of the water in the machine. 
3. Always Avoid Harsh Chemicals - Remember, certain stones need special care and you should never clean your jewelry with household cleaning products. Even swimming in the pool can cause irreversible damage to soft gemstones and metals. If you have a question about a certain piece of jewelry, please reach out to me before taking the risk of cleaning with the wrong chemical solution. 
4. Inspector Gadget - Always take a close look at your jewelry after cleaning to look for loose or missing stones, bent or broken prongs or any other signs of wear and tear. All of these issues can easily be repaired. 
5. A note about Pearls and Opals - These are super soft and delicate materials. The best way to clean is with a soft, damp cloth and always keep away from chemicals and heat. 
6. Storing your Jewelry - Ideally, store each piece in a separate bag or compartment in a jewelry box. Avoid storing in excess heat or direct sunlight to prevent certain gemstone colors from fading. 
7. And Finally….Be Kind, Be Gentle - Remember, fine jewelry is delicate. Avoid actives that can damage your jewelry including gardening, working out, washing dishes among others! Always remove your jewelry before performing these activities. 

Taking good care of your jewelry can prolong its use and help maintain its value. When in doubt, reach out! I’m always available for your jewelry needs.

Clients always ask if they should set their diamond in gold or platinum. My response is always that it is a personal choice and you can’t go wrong with either. Here are a few reasons you might choose one metal over the other.

Platinum: I love platinum for the look and feel. It is a heavier metal so it gives the ring a little more substance, especially with a larger stone. It also a develops a nice patina as it wears over time. Platinum maintains a more grey color whereas white gold will look slightly yellow from years of wear and need to be rhodium plated and polished. The downside of platinum is that is a softer metal so it can take on the shape of your finger over time. If this happens, let me know, it can easily be reshaped back to its original look and feel.

 Gold: White or Yellow Gold is a great option too. Gold tends to be lighter and can be more comfortable to the wearer. However, you will need to have your gold ring rhodium plated and polished from time to time to keep that shiny look.  Over time the plating wears off resulting in a slightly yellow tint.

 Like any thing in life, we usually have a preference for one over the other.

The term karat (kt) is used to identify the pureness of gold, while carat (ct) is used when referencing the weight of a stone. Pure gold is referenced as 24 kt gold which means that it is 24 parts gold. Gold that is 18 kt is 75% gold (or 18 out of 24 parts), 14kt is 58.3% gold (or 14 out of 24 parts). When you mix gold with other metals, creating an alloy, it increases strength and hardness of the gold.

Most jewelry is made from 14kt (14 parts gold mixed 10 parts of other metals). 18kt contains more gold than 14kt and can look more buttery and yellow and can be slightly softer. 

Typical Gold Alloys: 

White Gold – Gold, nickel, copper and zinc

Yellow Gold – Gold, copper, silver and zinc

Rose Gold – Gold, copper, silver

But remember, all jewelry is delicate and should be handled with tender loving care!

It is important to buy a diamond with a certification so you know exactly what you are getting. When selecting a diamond, it allows you to compare stones and decide which is the right fit for you. The certificate can be helpful when obtaining jewelry insurance, and to help identify your stone.

A certification confirms the quality of the diamond by grading the 4 C’s. The 4 C’s are also used when pricing diamonds.

Color – Diamonds can come from the earth in a variety of colors! However, most diamonds fall in a range from colorless to light yellow, brown or grey. The scale for color starts from D to Z..

Clarity – Clarity refers to the inclusions and other characteristics (or lack thereof) that are visible under 10x magnification. Many factors effect the clarity grade including the size of the inclusions, where they are located, how many there are, how visible they are in color and if they effect the structure and durability of the stone.

Cut – There are many different cuts of diamonds but the most common is the round brilliant. Other styles are referred to as fancy cuts which include Oval, Emerald, Radiant, Pear, Princess among others. The cut grade takes into account a round diamonds proportions, symmetry and polish.

Carat – This is the weight of the diamond. There are 0.2 grams in 1 carat, or 1/5 of a gram per carat. Although this is the most common diamond characteristic people know, there can sometimes be too much emphasis on carat weight. See my blog post on “Why carat weight isn’t everything!”

I typically sell diamonds certified by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) however there are other laboratories including EGL (European Gemological Laboratory) and IGI (International Gemological Institute) among others.

Everyone always comes to me and says, “I want a 3.5 ct” or “My girlfriend says it has to be at least 2 carats or she won’t marry me!” HA! Hopefully when gifting a diamond engagement ring the recipient is happy and knows it’s an excellent quality stone if it’s coming from me. But seriously, if you’ve read my other blogs on diamonds you know there is A LOT that goes into what makes a stone amazing.

For example, the measurements and how the diamond is cut is extremely important! A well cut 1 carat stone will sparkle and reflect light much better than a poorly cut 2 carat stone that is dull and lifeless.

A 2 carat round diamond can be cut poorly and measure like a 1.80 carat diamond. Some of the weight can be in the lower half of the stone or what we call the pavilion.  So while the stone weights 2 carats, it actually looks smaller.

Diamonds are measured by the minimum diameter x maximum diameter x depth.

It can work the other way too. A 2.8 carat stone may measure more like a 3 carat. This is what we call a "spready" stone. The diamond may be cut shallow which allows some of the light to escape through the bottom and not reflect back out through the top.

So, yes, size matters! But remember that cut has a huge influence on the perception of “size”.