We are now officially in my favorite season of all: summer! I love it all - the hot days, the cool nights, bare shoulders, camping at the beach, smelling like sunscreen all the time… it’s just the best. It’s also a great time to survey your jewelry collection and make sure you’re taking good care of your precious gems as you slather yet another layer of SPF 50 on yourself. Here are my top tips for Summer Jewelry Care to get you through the season:

1) Since summer is decidedly more casual (and super hot days may make certain rings too tight!), you may find yourself wearing your formal jewelry a lot less often than you regularly do. Therefore, it’s a great time to bring your precious items in for a thorough cleaning and checkup without the rush. It’s a good idea to have your high-end pieces professionally checked regularly - we recommend at least once a year for daily-wear pieces like engagement rings or diamond wedding bands - and you’ll be amazed at what a difference a professional cleaning and polishing can do for a worn ring or necklace.  

 2) If you’re conscientious about applying SPF like I am, you’re probably already finding that your rings are getting a bit congested with sunscreen build-up. If you want to clean them at home, the solution is super easy. Simply take a soft-bristled toothbrush that you don’t use anymore (upcycle your old one instead of using a new one!), dip it in Windex, and scrub it down. You’ll want to focus especially on the interior of the ring and where any small holes might be in the gallery since this is where lotions will mostly build up. This solution is perfectly fine for diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and most semiprecious stones but do NOT use Windex on emeralds, pearls, or opals. If your ring has those gemstones in it, be extra careful with that toothbrush and don’t use any compounds to clean the ring - you can easily end up damaging the gemstones.

3) Review your wider collection and check for any pieces that need repair or restoration work. Again, with summer styles beckoning airy dresses over shiny baubles, this is a great time to get your jewelry repaired when you won’t plan on wearing it anyway. Summer is also our slowest season, so we have a bit more bandwidth to turn around your repair quicker than in our busier times (such as the holidays, when you really want to wear these pieces!) If you need rings resized, prongs re-tipped, or pieces re-plated, now is a great time to gather your collection and make an appointment for restoration work.

 Our shop will be taking a two-week break in August, so July is the perfect month to cross these items off your list. We hope you are planning to enjoy your summer as much as we are, with plenty of outdoor activities, late-night patio sitting, and all the fireflies.