Guides / Owning a piece
Jewelry care and warranty: cleaning, storage and what we stand behind
A piece that has already lasted a century can easily last another one, as long as it is treated like what it is. Below: exactly what our one year warranty covers, how our goldsmiths clean and store gold, platinum and silver, and the stones that must never see a cleaner. When something is specific to one piece, its product page says so.
Warranty
One year warranty on wearability and functionality
Every piece is checked by our jewelry specialists in the Netherlands before it ships. For one year from delivery we stand behind how it wears and how it works in normal use. Write to us with your order number and a photograph and we will tell you what we can do.
What the warranty covers
- Clasps, catches, hinges and pins that fail in normal wear.
- Settings that loosen on their own, and stones that move in a setting we supplied.
- Solder joins, shanks and chain links that give way under ordinary use.
- Any fault in a repair or restoration we carried out before the piece shipped.
What it does not cover
- Normal wear: thinning shanks, softened engraving, surface scratches and patina.
- Impact damage from a knock, a drop or misuse.
- Lost parts, including a stone knocked out of a setting, an earring back or a safety chain.
- Contact with water, perfume, cream, hairspray, cleaning products or chlorine.
- Any work carried out by a third party, which ends the warranty on that part of the piece.
The warranty sits alongside our 30 day returns with free insured return shipping, so a piece that is not right for you can simply come back. Shipping and returns.
Everyday care
How to clean and store vintage and gold jewelry
Five habits do almost all of the work. None of them take more than a minute, and together they are worth more than any cleaning product.
01
Store pieces apart
Keep every piece in its own soft pouch or a lined box, somewhere dry and dark. Gold is soft, and two pieces sharing a drawer will scratch each other. Darkness also protects amethyst, topaz and other stones that fade in strong light.
02
Clean gently, not often
Warm water with a drop of mild soap, a soft brush around the setting, then rinse and dry fully with a soft cloth before you put it away. Never use ultrasonic cleaners, steam or household cleaning products on an antique piece.
03
Jewelry goes on last
Perfume, hairspray, sunscreen and hand cream all leave a film that dulls metal and creeps under a stone. Dress, spray, then put your jewelry on.
04
Take it off first
No sport, no swimming pool, no shower, no sleeping in it. Chlorine attacks the alloys in gold and can crack a solder join, and a night of movement is enough to bend a thin antique claw.
05
Have it checked once a year
A jeweler can feel a loose stone long before you can see one. A yearly check is the cheapest thing you will ever do for a piece you intend to keep.
Delicate materials
Gemstones that must never see an ultrasonic cleaner
Hardness is not the whole story. Some stones are porous, some are oiled, some hold water in their structure, and antique settings hide foils behind them. These materials are cleaned dry or barely damp, and nothing else.
| Material | Why it is fragile | How to care for it |
|---|---|---|
| Pearls | Porous and organic, with a thin nacre that acid, alcohol and perfume dissolve. | Wipe with a barely damp soft cloth after wearing. Never soak, never use a cleaner, never an ultrasonic. Restring strands worn often. |
| Opal | Holds water in its structure and can craze or crack with heat, dryness or sudden temperature change. | Clean with a damp cloth only. Keep away from heat and ultrasonics, and never store an opal in a hot, dry place. |
| Emerald | Almost always included and commonly oiled. Ultrasonic cleaning and detergents strip the oil and expose the fractures. | Lukewarm water and a soft cloth, briefly. No soaking, no steam, no ultrasonic. Have the oiling refreshed by a specialist. |
| Turquoise | Porous and often stabilised. Absorbs soap, oil and perfume, which turns the colour green or grey. | Dry soft cloth only. Keep it away from water and anything cosmetic. |
| Coral, amber, jet and ivory | Soft organic materials that scratch, dry out and react to solvents. | Dry wipe. No cleaner of any kind, and store away from heat. |
| Foiled and closed-back stones | Georgian and early Victorian settings often hold a foil behind the stone to lift its colour. Water gets behind the setting and destroys it permanently. | Never immerse. Clean the metal around the stone with a barely damp cloth and let a specialist do the rest. |
If you are not sure what is set into a piece you own, do not guess and do not clean it. Send us a photograph, or book a private video viewing and we will look at it with you.
Our care kit
The jewelry care kit our goldsmiths use
Three things, chosen because they are gentle: a soft brush, a polishing cloth and a 100% natural cleaning spray. Made for gold, platinum and silver, and safe on the settings we handle every day.
Care
Jewelry Care Kit
Everything you need to keep a piece looking the way it arrived.
Give your jewelry the care it deserves. Our care kit was put together to clean your favorite pieces gently, look after them and bring back their natural shine.
- Soft bristle brush
- A bamboo handled brush that lifts dust and skin oils out of gallery work, filigree and under a stone without scratching the metal.
- Polishing cloth
- A lint free cloth for a final buff on gold, platinum and silver. Keep it dry and never wash it.
- Gentle cleaning spray
- A mild, solvent free solution with natural ingredients. No ammonia, no chlorine and nothing that will lift an old enamel or dull a soft stone.
$25
- Ships free and fully insured within the United States.
- Arrives in the olive gift box, ready to give.
- Not for pearls, opal, emerald, turquoise or other porous stones — see the care guide below.
FAQ
Care and warranty questions
- How do I clean vintage gold jewelry at home?
- Use lukewarm water with a drop of mild soap, work gently around the setting with a soft brush, rinse and dry completely with a soft cloth. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, steam and household cleaning products, which are too aggressive for antique solder joins and old settings.
- Can I use an ultrasonic cleaner on antique jewelry?
- No. Ultrasonic cleaning can loosen old settings, strip the oil from an emerald, craze an opal and destroy the foil behind a closed-back stone. Pearls, opal, emerald, turquoise, coral and amber must never go near one.
- What does the one year warranty cover?
- One year on wearability and functionality in normal use: clasps, hinges, settings that loosen on their own, solder joins and any repair we carried out. It excludes normal wear, impact damage, lost parts, chemical contact and work done by a third party.
- Does the warranty still apply if another jeweler works on the piece?
- No. Once a third party has worked on a piece, the warranty on that part of it ends. Contact us first and we will tell you what is possible, and often carry out the work ourselves.
- Can I wear my jewelry in the shower or the pool?
- Please do not. Chlorine attacks the alloys used in gold and can crack a solder join, and soap builds up behind stones. Damage from water, chlorine and cleaning products is not covered by the warranty.
- What is in the jewelry care kit?
- A soft bristle brush, a polishing cloth and a 100% natural cleaning spray, chosen by our goldsmiths for gold, platinum and silver. It is not intended for pearls, opal, emerald, turquoise or other porous materials.
Still not sure?
Book a private video viewing or write to us. A specialist will look at the piece with you and tell you honestly what it needs, before you touch it.