We often get asked by our clients how to take care of their jewelry, and we love it when this question comes up! It shows that people love their custom-designed and vintage precious items and want to to make sure they last. As jewelers, it's also in our best interest to ensure that our clients are educated as to the proper care of these fine jewelry pieces. Offering jewelry repair is part of our extended service menu, but we also want to make sure you know how to avoid any unnecessary touchups to your rings.

"Take off your jewelry at the end of the day"

The Mohs Hardness Scale is a guide that jewelers commonly refer to when determining the hardness of a gemstone or diamond. On the Mohs scale, diamonds rank a 10 which is the highest level of hardness for any natural mineral on earth. Many people are drawn to diamonds for their clean, classic look as well as it being a traditional choice for engagement and wedding rings. They are a great option for an engagement ring as they generally are less prone to chipping. The second hardest natural mineral would be corundum - also known as ruby and sapphire. While still not as hard as diamond, they are resilient against heat, cold, and general wear-and-tear. That being said, all gemstones and diamonds can show wear-and-tear over a long period of time or consistent mistreatment; including gold and platinum.

"Our best advice to ensure longevity, reduce scratching and chipping; is to simply find a safe spot to store your jewelry."

As jewelry designers and jewelry enthusiasts, here's a quick checklist that we personally follow when wearing our own items.

• Store jewelry in a familiar jewelry box or container
• Take off jewelry when cooking, baking, gardening, showering, hiking
• Periodically examine and check for any loose stones or prongs
• Bring in your jewelry annually for cleaning and inspection
• We recommend insuring any high priced items

We know that it can be hard to remember to take off your rings when doing everyday activities, but trust us when we say that this will help to ensure that your investment will continue to sparkle and shine for a lifetime. Consider that a lot of the vintage jewelry items we have in our studio have continued to endure because they were well taken care of by their original owners. Also, if your ring is feeling snug and is hard to take on and off, drop us a note so we can look into potentially adjusting the fit. Interested in designing something new? Contact our studio as we are always happy to answer any questions you may have.