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If you have bead necklaces, such as lapis or pearls, store them flat because silk stretches over time. Most jewelers will restring necklaces or reset stones. If you wear your bead/pearl necklaces regularly, have them restrung by your jeweler once a year. Do NOT store pearls in plastic bags! Pearls require a certain level of moisture in storage. Check with your local jeweler for the best long-term storage options if you know you won’t be wearing your pearls often.
Hardness is based on a gem-trade standard called the Mohs scale. The scale goes from 1 to 10 and the higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone is. Diamonds are a 10 on the Mohs scale. Anything with a Mohs scale rating of less than 7, such as coral, lapis lazuli, opal, pearl, and turquoise, is easily scratched. Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2.5 to 4.
Gold jewelry should always be taken off before swimming or showering, since chlorine can discolor and soaps can build up a dull film on gold. Sterling silver will polish up by rubbing or buffing it with a soft cotton cloth or a Sunshine Cloth. Silver stored in plastic bags with an interlocking seal will be less prone to tarnish.
Platinum jewelry can be cleaned by using a specifically designed jewelry cleaner or you can have your jeweler clean and polish your platinum.
Be certain that stones mounted in rings are not loose or rattling in their setting. The prongs of a ring can and do wear down. If the prongs wear down too much or break, you risk losing your gemstone(s). Prongs can be easily "retipped" by most jewelers to keep the stone(s) secure.
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