'LOUPING YOU IN' ISSUE 3: How to care for your fine jewellery

As the weather gets nicer, more of us are heading out to enjoy time in the sun. Whether you’re a fan of camping, sports, gardening, or simply spending time outside, we recommend dedicating some thought towards how to best take care of and protect your jewellery while you enjoy your favourite summer activities.

While we love that our clients are proud of their FTJCo jewellery, it may surprise you to hear that we want you to take it off! Our jewellery is incredibly well-made with longevity in mind, but it’s not indestructible. 

Here’s a complete guide on how to care for your fine jewellery so it lasts a lifetime (and longer!)

Choosing your metal:

You may have heard that 14K gold is stronger than 18K, however, there isn’t a meaningful difference in strength between these two karats when it comes to everyday wear-and-tear. We offer 18K gold and platinum for our fine jewellery at FTJCo. What about silver, you may ask? It’s much softer than 18K gold!

Finish and patina:

The finish of your ring won't affect how easily it gets scratched, but it may impact how those scratches look. When rings with a satin or matte finish become scratched, the natural shine of the gold may show through. As a result, sometimes scratches are less noticeable on highly polished rings. 

While it might be unnerving the first time you get a scratch in your new ring, keep in mind that over time, all rings become burnished with wear. Matte finished rings will become a bit brighter as they accumulate patina, while polished rings will become slightly more matte as they are worn. We think the accumulation of these signs of wear is a beautiful thing! It tells the story of your life and marriage. While we do offer free annual cleaning and light polishing of all FTJCo jewellery, we caution against frequent aggressive re-polishings, as small amounts of metal are removed each time a ring is polished. 

When to take off your jewellery:

When in doubt, take it off! Remove your jewellery any time you’re working with your hands (i.e. handling metal tools, working out, playing sports), getting your hands dirty (gardening, baking, painting), or if you’re likely to come into contact with stone, metal, or other objects that could scratch your ring. Other times you may prefer to take off gem-set rings including in the shower or when moisturising (so the settings don’t get filled with soap or lotion), and at the beach. 

We’ve seen it all at FTJCo, and can tell you with certainty that playing baseball or going to the gym are high-risk activities for ring damage! 

How to clean your jewellery:

You may notice that your diamond or gem gets a bit dull-looking over time. That's because diamonds attract skin oils and hand cream which can get trapped around the gem settings, preventing light from getting in and out of the stone, dampening their sparkle.

You can bring your diamonds back to life at home using a soft bristled toothbrush and some gentle dish soap. Make sure that your drain is closed or blocked so that you can’t lose your ring and gently brush with the soapy toothbrush under and around any gems on your ring. For stubborn grime, leave your ring to soak in warm soapy water for 15 min before scrubbing, but note that some softer gems shouldn’t be left in water (i.e. pearls, which are often glued in place).

To really bring back that “like-new” sparkle, you’re welcome to bring your FTJCo-made jewellery into our Cabbagetown shop and studio. We’ll give it a quick steam-clean, or pop it into our ultrasonic cleaner, which helps us get to those hard-to-reach places. 

Jewellery insurance:

When you get an engagement ring from FTJCo we cover the first year of Jewelers Mutual Insurance as a thank you, and to encourage you to keep your ring insured! You’ll also receive a third party appraisal for engagement rings over $2,000 and all other FTJCo jewellery over $3,000.

Information on how to apply for the free year of Jewelers Mutual insurance is included in your FTJCo invoice - you’ll need to apply for it yourself, then we reimburse you when you share your proof of payment with us. 

We highly recommend keeping your precious jewellery insured, even past the one free year. Loss, damage, or theft happens - being prepared means that if you do find yourself in one of these unfortunate situations, you won’t have to worry about taking a hit to replace your missing jewellery.

Got any other questions about caring for your jewellery? Drop us a note at sales@ftjco.com