To clean your ring at home, we recommend soaking it in warm water with a little dishwashing liquid and gently brushing it with a small soft-bristled toothbrush. Use the brush to gently clean the hard-to-reach places like the underside of the gemstone settings as these tend to collect the most oil and dirt.

The spaces under the gemstone settings, particularly in eternity bands can collect soap residue and debris, and if not cleaned regularly this can cause irritation. If you notice any build up in this area, try soaking your ring for 30 – 40 minutes before cleaning it.

We recommend you clean your rings at home once or twice a week. For a more intensive clean, we recommend bringing your ring in for a complimentary, professional clean every 3-6 months.

Not all gems can be safely cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner therefore these should only be used at home with caution or left for professionals.

Ultrasonic cleaners use vibrations as part of the cleaning process; they can shake loose stones from their mounting, or cause scratching if jewellery is not separated correctly during the cleaning process. 

They are not suitable for softer or organic stones such as emeralds, pearls, opals, topaz, tanzanite, moonstones, onyx, bloodstone, carnelian and lapis lazuli and these should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner. 

These types of stones are also more susceptible to fracturing under excessive heat or sudden temperature change. 

For these reasons we recommend that this type of cleaning is best left to jewellery professionals who know about different gem materials and understand when and how to use the ultrasonic cleaner safely.

We recommend bringing your diamond, sapphire and spinel jewellery in for an ultrasonic clean with us at least every 6 months.

Putting a lot of weight/pressure on a fine band of a ring e.g. by lifting heavy things or by putting body weight onto the band of your ring, can cause the settings to move slowly over time which can cause gemstones to come loose or fall out.

We always advise taking your fine jewellery off when doing activities which would place a lot of pressure like this on your jewellery.

A diamond may be incredibly hard and durable, but they can still be chipped if hit on the right angle with enough force. Therefore care must be taken not to knock it against other hard materials.

This also applies to precious metals which can dent and bend out of shape with a hard knock or excessive pressure.

We always recommend taking your ring off when you are playing sports, washing dishes, carrying heavy items or anything else which could potentially impact or damage your piece.

We recommend taking off your ring when using harsh chemicals or abrasive solutions often found in household cleaners or hand sanitiser. Over time these can erode metal settings and dull their lustrous finish.

It's important to take particular care with the following gemstones: emeralds, opals, pearls, moonstones, topaz, and tanzanite.

These stones are not as hard as diamond, sapphire and spinel, and they can chip or scratch more easily. Excessive heat and sudden temperature changes may also fracture these gems.

For this reason we recommend diamonds, sapphires and spinels for everyday wear – and as mentioned above even these extremely durable gemstones must be worn with care.

Our white gold jewellery has rhodium plating applied to it to give it an ultra white look, as the natural colour of white gold is yellowish-grey. It is a non permanent plating that requires replating approximately every 12 – 18 months (depending on wear).

We offer a replating service and are happy to provide a quote for this.

Keep any diamond jewellery away from other gemstones and diamonds. Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth, which means that they can scratch other gemstones and metal bands (and even other diamonds) if left to jostle around in the same jewellery pouch or box.

For that reason, keep your jewellery, especially diamonds in individual soft cloth pouches or in your original ring box when you’re not wearing them

Some of our signet rings contain softer gemstones such as onyx, bloodstone, carnelian and lapis lazuli. Try to protect them from hard blows and knocks as these can impact the stone causing chips, cracks or loss of the gemstone.

Due to its natural reactive properties, silver jewellery requires more frequent and careful attention than other metals to address the natural tarnishing process.

Silver jewellery should be stored in a cool, dry place, in your original packaging. Avoid storing it with other jewellery and ensure it is separated.

Silver jewellery should be wiped clean after each wear and when you notice it becoming dull or discoloured. Avoid direct contact with creams, lotions or perfumes as these substances can accelerate the tarnishing process and can congest any links or settings in your jewellery. Particularly acidic skin may also cause premature tarnishing.

To clean silver jewellery, we recommend dipping your pieces in a Silver Clean Bath or polishing with a high-quality silver cloth.

Some of our fine jewellery pieces are made in gold vermeil, which is high quality sterling silver, plated with 18k Gold to give it a fine gilded appearance. Like any plated jewellery, everyday wear can cause it to gradually fade, especially on rings, bracelets and any items that are frequently knocked when being worn. Scents, lotions, hair products and cleaning products can cause the vermeil to erode over time.

Gold vermeil will fade with time and wear however with good care should last for years.  To care for your gold vermeil jewellery we recommend wiping it with a soft clean cloth after each wear and storing it in a cool, dry place, in your original packaging

Almost as important as the creation process itself, all well-made jewellery needs to be maintained over its lifetime.

Fine jewellery, no matter how well crafted, is not invincible, so we cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining your precious piece. Think of it like a car. You can purchase the very best car that money can buy, but you still need to take it in for its regular service every year. The same with your jewellery. The better your jewellery is looked after and maintained, the longer it will last.

By following our jewellery care guide you should be able to minimise maintenance work on your jewellery. To ensure your jewellery is always in top condition we recommend to book an annual check up/service for your ring with our experienced jewellers.

We encourage our customers to bring in their jewellery at least once annually for a complimentary inspection and professional clean.  Our experienced jewellers will professionally inspect your ring and advise if any work is required.

To arrange an inspection and service of your jewellery, please BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Timeworn prongs, and wear and tear can result in the loss of a stone. If you notice any signs of damage or loosening/lifting of the prongs on your jewellery, please bring it straight back to us and we will have our jeweller assess it. We offer complimentary claw tightening in the first year of wear and following this, our experienced team will assess any future maintenance requirements as these may incur a fee.  

We also strongly advise all of our customers to insure their jewellery so that they will be covered in the event of loss or damage.

We are always happy to give further information about our repair policies, so please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions at info@cushlawhiting.com.au.