Every piece of White November jewellery is made and handcrafted in the Melbourne workshop with love. The beauty and brilliance of your jewels will be everlasting with reasonable care. Following are instructions on how to make your jewellery last a lifetime:
Environmental factors such as dust, pollution and everyday products like cosmetics, perfume, some foods and liquids can dull the brilliance of gemstones and stain the platinum and gold settings.
The following care instructions will help preserve the beauty of your precious rings and jewellery and extend their life.
*Protect your rings from damage by not wearing them during vigorous workouts, sporting activities, cleaning, gardening or swimming in the ocean or a pool. Also avoid sharp blows, scratching, chemicals, sunlight and heat/cold.
*Avoid your rings coming into contact with hard surfaces which may cause scratches, dents, loosening of the settings or even loss of the precious gem. Even diamonds should not come into contact with other gems, and fine jewellery should be stored in a jewellery box with separate compartments, preferably lined with soft fabric. Diamonds, the hardest natural substance know to man can be cracked or chipped on their fine edges if not handled with care.
*Platinum and gold will occasionally require polish to remove surfaces scratches and also settings may need tightening. We recommend having white gold rhodium plated every 12 months.
*All gemstones have an affinity with grease. This explains why finger marks, skin cream, soap and detergents adhere so readily to the gemstones surfaces and mar their brilliance. So that your gemstones are always looking their most beautiful, they should be wiped with a cleaning cloth daily.
*When Jewellery is worn constantly it is inevitable that dust, soap and lotions will accumulate in the setting and reduce the fire and beauty of your precious gems. To maintain their original beauty, clean your rings regularly with warm water, liquid detergent and a soft toothbrush, rinse in cold clean water afterwards then dry with a soft cloth.
*We strongly recommend getting your ring serviced every 12 months to ensure the settings haven't worn down due to everyday wear and tear and to check they are holding your gemstones securely.
DIAMOND
Hardness
Gem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The scale originated in 1812 when German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs chose ten minerals and assigned numbers to them, based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one could be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but it’s many times harder than gems in the corundum family. Only a diamond can scratch a diamond. Any stone, including a diamond, will break if it’s hit hard enough in the right place.
Cleaning
Diamonds can be cleaned safely with lint-free cloths, commercial jewelry cleaning solutions, and household detergents. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are usually safe as well.
SAPPHIRE
Hardness and toughness
Corundum (ruby and sapphire) is relatively hard—9 on the Mohs scale. It has excellent toughness. This makes it a great choice for rings and other mountings subject to daily wear.
Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are usually safe for untreated, heat-treated, and lattice diffusion treated stones. Fracture-filled, cavity-filled, or dyed material should only be cleaned with a damp cloth.
ZIRCON
(not to be confused with cubic zirconia - a man made material)
Hardness and toughness
Zircon is rated 6 to 7.5 out of 10 on the Mohs scale. It has fair to good toughness. While zircon is not as hard or tough as a stone like sapphire, it can still be worn in all types of jewelry as long as proper care is given to avoid rough wearing or hard blows. Also, zircon can be brittle, so it should be worn and stored in a manner that avoids hard rubbing against other materials.
Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is recommended for cleaning zircon. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are not recommended for cleaning this gem.
GOLD
- Keep gold jewellery away from harsh chemicals like household cleaning fluids as they create abrasions and reduce the lustre of the metal.
- Cleaning gold jewellery is best done with warm water and detergent free soap.
- Thoroughly dry your jewellery after exposure to water.
GOLD PLATED
Our gold plated jewellery has a layer of 22 carat gold on top of sterling silver.
- Plating will wear off over time - To have your jewellery replated, please contact us for a quote. Use non-abrasive cleaning materials. If a cleaning substance is too strong it may remove the gold.
- Do not let your jewellery come into contact with nail polish removers, perfume or hairspray. Do not wear gold plated jewellery on a day to day basis, that way you will enjoy them for much longer. Frequently clean in a mild dishwashing liquid diluted in water.
- Use of a polishing cloth or strong jewellery cleaner is not recommended.
RHODIUM PLATED
- Our rhodium plated jewellery has a thin layer of metal on top of sterling silver or gold and gives it a shiny and bright finish. Rhodium plating will eventually fade and need to be replated. To have your jewellery replated, please contact us for a quote.
- When the plating becomes discoloured, you will need to clean it using the following instructions:
- Cleaning gold jewellery is best done with warm water and detergent free soap. Soak for 10 minutes and no longer than 15 minutes. With your fingers gently rub the jewellery and with a soft toothbrush gently scrub the finer areas.
- Rinse off all soap with lukewarm water, place the jewellery on a soft towel and gently pat dry and leave it to air dry overnight.
- Use non-abrasive cleaning materials. If a cleaning substance is too strong it may remove the rhodium. Do not use jewellery cleaning products.
- Do not let your jewellery come into contact with nail polish removers, creams, perfume or hairspray. Store your jewellery in a soft lined box or pouch with an anti tarnish strip. Try to keep pieces apart so they don't rub together.
STERLING SILVER
- Keep silver jewellery away from harsh chemicals like household cleaning fluids as they create abrasions and reduce the lustre of the metal.
- Cleaning silver jewellery is best done with a professional jewellery cleaning product.
- Thoroughly dry your silver jewellery after exposure to water.