To clean your jewellery, the simplest way is to use a soft bristle toothbrush, warm water, and soap. Dry with a cotton cloth, we recommend this one. Take care that no stones are loose before cleaning, and if in doubt wait until the piece of jewellery has been checked by a professional.

Different stones have different levels of hardness, with diamonds being the hardest material available. Other gemstones such as sapphire, ruby and emerald are softer, and care must be taken when cleaning.

Emeralds are particularly soft, due to the natural imperfections found in the material which can mean weak areas can crack and chip. Emeralds can be ‘oiled’ to reduce the appearance of cracks, but in all cases must be treated with special care and attention and not worn on the hand on a daily basis.

All gemstone jewellery can be gently cleaned using the above methods, but we would advise against cleaning pearls, opals and turquoise this way due to their softness.

We recommend removing gemstone rings during the following activities:

• Gym/sport sessions
• Swimming
• Showering
• Sleeping
• Gardening
• Washing up / domestic chores

Small piece of debris and dirt can get lodged in rings, resulting in a dulling, scratching or loosening of the gemstones. Any pressure applied to the hands whilst wearing rings during exercise or other activities can loosen stones and they could fall out.