1. Maintain your jewellery

We recommend that you bring your Shirley Paris pieces to us every year for a professional clean and check. Our goldsmiths will inspect your jewellery with a 10x lens and check your claws/settings, stone security and any for accidental damage. Then we will lightly polish surface scratches and thoroughly clean dirt from the metal and diamonds. We love seeing delighted faces after we give your pieces some TLC, so get in touch if you would like to arrange cleaning- this is a free service. Our goldsmiths will advise on any other work required and cost based on your individual needs. In between visits, you can use a non-battery operated toothbrush to clean your pieces with warm water and washing up liquid or a small jewellery ultra sonic cleaner. If your jewellery contains emeralds, pearls or opals please do not clean these by yourself. These are particularly soft/brittle gems which can be damaged easily.

2. Care for your jewellery

Our pieces are crafted with the utmost care, quality and attention to detail, and are made with the intention of a lifetime of wear. Gold & platinum are fantastic metals, great for forging and working into all manners of shapes. This does, however, mean that to a certain degree they are soft. Diamond, as you will know is the hardest natural material. It is one of the main reasons they are selected for the most worn items of jewellery, such as engagement and wedding rings. However, if knocked or bumped at a certain point, they can chip. The same goes for other hard gems like sapphire, ruby and topaz.

It is essential to remove rings for the following activities-

• Gardening

• House-work

• Weight-lifting/sports

• Going to bed

Cleanliness is another aspect to consider in order to care for your jewellery. Diamonds have an affinity for grease, which means dirt particles will latch onto your stones very easily, causing them to appear dull. Remember that a lot of things your hands touch, your rings will touch- so they will hold onto quite a bit of germs and dirt.

Try your best to remove your jewellery, where possible, during the following activities-

• Applying make-up/ skincare products/perfumes

  Pop your jewellery off when applying your products to prevent any extra liquids interfering with your metals and the brilliance of your diamonds. Perfumes are renowned for discolouring metals, so stick to far away areas like your elbow crease when applying so it doesn’t affect your bracelets, earrings and chains.

• Showering

  Whilst you may be getting clean in the shower, your rings are catching all the excess grime behind the settings, so try where possible to remove them before showering. Your rings will also slip off easily when wet, so watch out for this when your hands are near drains.

• Swimming/in ocean

  Pool water and the ocean can be known to cause discolouring, and water will make your rings slip off easily. Be cautious when on holiday and wearing your rings in any kind of water.

3. Insure your jewellery

We know (and love) that clients want to wear their jewellery as much as possible. To give yourself peace of mind in the event of unfortunate damage or loss, we highly recommend insuring your jewellery. If you have had a bespoke or remodelled piece created by us, we will provide you with a valuation and recommend a bespoke jewellery insurance specialist (for jewellery valued over £1000.00 only).