One thing you can do to protect your jewelry is not wear them when your gardening, housework, swimming or other activity where you have a greater chance of damaging or losing them. The chemicals in pools can discolor or damage your jewelry.

Get a jewelry box and/or wrap each piece of jewelry with paper, velvet or silk. The harder stones like diamonds could scratch your pearls or other jewelry and that could happen if you "throw" your jewelry all in the same place. Keep everything from touching each other, even from itself.

If you have jewelry and it came in a box and wrapping keep it. Put the jewelry back in the box when your not wearing it.

To check for loose stones place the piece next to your ear and tap gently with your finger. Something might be loose if you hear any movement from the piece. You should check for this on a regular basis, more if you wear the piece regularly.

Pearls should be restrung every couple of years. If you clean them use a mild soapy water. Rinse them well after.

You should have your fine jewelry looked and possibly cleaned by a professional once a year.

Before cleaning jewelry make sure the stones are not loose. When cleaning you don't want them coming out.

To loosen dirt around the prongs you can use a soft brush with the hard gemstones. Using toothpaste is not a good idea because it is an abrasive and can damage some soft gems and metals.

Don't take silver jewelry into the pool or any other water. The chlorine in the water will discolor your silver.

Ultrasonic cleaners are not recommended as the vibrations they make can enlarge inclusions and make them more noticeable.

To help prevent damage to your jewelry, don't put them on until you have your makeup, hairspray, perfume or anything else on. The stuff that is in these products could harm your jewelry. Put bracelets on your opposite hand if your right or left handed. Less wear may occur because it's not the main hand used.

If shipping your jewelry to be cleaned or repaired use a shipper that has tracking and get it insured.

Turquoise should be put in warm water and you should use a soft toothbrush on it. It should then be washed off with warm water and let it air-dry. Coming in contact with cleaning solutions like ammonia can discolor or damage it.

Silver can be rinsed in warm water and pat it dry. You can use silver cleaner but don't use an abrasive cleaner or a toothbrush as it can scratch it.

Pricing for cleaning will vary by type of jewelry and the place you take it too. If you recently bought jewelry from a store they might clean and inspect it for free on an annual basis or something like that. They can also give you a repair quote for any repairs needed. Before getting it repaired or professionally cleaned, document and take pictures of your jewelry before. Just so you have proof if the jewelry should be chipped, damaged or has some other problem with it.

Dave William G. runs http://www.thejvirus.com, a website devoted to all things jewelry. From designs to gemstones we try and cover it all. So please visit us today. You can sign-up for our 7 part mini-course on diamonds while you're there. http://www.thejvirus.com

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