Nicole Mera’s Fine Jewelry Care Guide

Nicole Mera maintains the highest standards in custom design, materials and craftsmanship, creating jewelry that can be passed down for generations. With proper care, you can preserve the beauty of your Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry for years to come. Below, you will find important information and recommendations for the care of your fine jewelry. This care guide was created specifically for Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry but is applicable to all fine jewelry that is part of your collection.

Be Mindful

This is the first step when wearing your Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry. Be mindful of the pieces you put on, your lifestyle and the daily activities that you participate in. It is always important to be mindful of when to put on your jewelry, when to take it off, and when to have it serviced by a Nicole Mera professional.

Wearing Your Jewels 

Depending on lifestyle and occupation, consider removing your jewelry while at work or while participating in any strenuous activities. Also, any contact with potentially damaging materials can affect the overall appearance and longevity of your piece of fine jewelry.  Although it may be tempting to wear your jewelry all the time, please remove all jewelry when: 

  • Exercising: Any strenuous activity such as lifting weights, cardio, yoga, swimming, etc. These activities, particularly ones using your hands, put pressure on your pieces which can cause them to bend, warp, or cause stones to become loose. Chlorinated water can react chemically with metals by changing their color, causing settings to become weak, altering their overall appearance. 
  • Applying perfumes, lotions, makeup, and/or hair products. Any of these products can build up on and inside your jewelry making them appear dirty. The most important thing is be mindful that these chemicals can potentially damage your stones and their settings. 
  • Clapping: Its always fun to cheer your team on, but remember that if you have rings on both hands and you clap, it can cause a major impact and damage. If you know you are headed to an event where you may be inclined to do so, remove your rings or adjust your clap so your jewels do not come in contact with one another. 

  • Cooking/Baking: Your jewelry could have excess gunk/skin lodged inside your jewelry and could come in contact with food. It is always best to remove rings (onto a jewelry tray or box) and wash hands beforehand.
  • Gardening: The pressure from holding gardening tools can cause damage to settings, even when wearing gloves. Removing your pieces before gardening also ensures they remain free from debris and dirt. 
  • Sleeping: Sleeping in your jewelry can cause undue stress to your jewelry. Ideally, we recommend to keep a jewelry dish or container next to your bed so that you can remove your pieces at night. 
Overall, please avoid any impact, pressure, and extreme temperatures. These are important to promote the longevity of your fine jewelry. Gold, gemstones, and even diamonds can chip, crack, or become scratched if a piece is not worn properly.  If you are out in public and need to remove your jewelry, you may temporarily store your piece(s) in a protective pouch or small travel case and place them in your purse or pocket. Never remove your jewelry and place it down in a public place.                                       Photo Credit: May Carlson

Maintenance

Depending on the amount of wear your jewelry receives, any stone(s) should be checked yearly. For any jewels with stones, especially rings, we recommend having these jewels checked regularly by a Nicole Mera professional to ensure all of the prongs are tight and a piece is safe to wear. Never wear a piece of jewelry that has a loose or missing diamond/stone, as it is highly likely that there could be additional damage and/or stones that are loose.

Cleaning & Storage

Polish your jewelry with a lint-free cotton cloth. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner on micro pave stones, opals, emeralds, or other porous gemstones. We offer specifically formulated Nicole Mera Jewelry cleaner that is available for purchase that can be used on most jewelry. Fine jewelry should be stored securely in fabric-lined boxes. Pieces can also be wrapped in soft fabric or small plastic baggies.

Emeralds

Emeralds are especially fragile due to their naturally occurring inclusions (ie- fractures, fissures, and any imperfections in the stones). Heat, chemicals, and even intense light can amplify these inclusions. As with all fine jewelry, you should avoid impact, extended pressure, and extreme temperatures when wearing your emerald jewelry. Emeralds are particularly prone to chipping under these conditions and it is not advisable to clean your Emeralds with steam or an ultrasonic. Ultrasonic vibrations can weaken already fractured stones, and hot steam can cause oil or unhardened resin to sweat out of fractures. Using warm, soapy water coupled with gentle scrubbing is the safest way to clean emeralds. Do not use Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry cleaner on emeralds. You may use Nicole Mera’s Sparkle & Shine Stick instead. 

Pearls

As soft, organic gemstones pearls require special consideration to ensure that their luster and nacre do not become damaged or dulled. Regular wear is important for pearls as their intrinsic luster and glow will improve when worn regularly. The expert rule for wearing pearls is “last thing on, first thing off.” By putting your pearls on last ensures that makeup, perfumes, hairspray, and other potentially harmful products do not come into contact with the surface of the pearls. By taking your pearls off first ensures they do not get scratched or caught on your clothing. Pearls should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. It is safe to use warm, soapy water for occasional, thorough cleaning. If the pearls are strung, do not soak them in water or any liquid. For routine care, it is best to wipe cultured pearls with a very soft, clean cloth after each wear. Do not use Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry cleaner on Pearls. You may use Nicole Mera’s Sparkle & Shine Stick instead, unless its a Pearl strand.

Opals

Wear your opals regularly and store them separately from other jewelry. Opals are fairly soft (they are a 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, while diamonds are a 10). They are also high in water content and porous, which causes them to be very sensitive to changes in climate, temperature, and humidity. The only safe way to clean opals is with a soft jewelers cloth or wash with warm, mild soapy water. Soak your opal jewelry is warm, mild soapy water for a few minutes and rinse. You may use a soft bristled toothbrush on any metal or diamonds, but do not use the brush on the opal itself. Do not use Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry cleaner on Opals. You may use Nicole Mera’s Sparkle & Shine Stick instead. 

Precious Metals

Between professional servicing, most gold and platinum jewelry can be maintained with Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry cleaner. Avoid exposing your precious metals to household bleach, which can cause the metals to discolor and possibly disintegrate over time. Chlorine water can also react chemically with metals, changing their color, cause setting to become weak, and create pitting of gold.

Fine Jewelry & Gemstone Cleaning Care Chart

Don’t see your material or gemstone on the chart? Contact us for additional cleaning & care information at info@nicolemera.com

This chart offers our best recommendations for which products may be safely used on different varieties of jewelry. Be sure to follow the directions offered on any product that is used. Do NOT soak strung jewelry. Nicole Mera is not liable for the misuse of Fine Jewelry Cleaner or damage to your gemstones or jewelry.

 

Nicole Mera does not recommend the use of an ultrasonic machine on your fine jewelry. If you feel that your Nicole Mera Fine Jewelry Cleaner is not doing the job, please contact us to have your jewelry professional inspected and cleaned.

Nicole Mera’s Fine Jewelry Care Guide

Download the Designated lists of California’s Product Rights to Know Act for Nicole Mera’s Fine Jewelry Cleaner here.

Photography Credits: Main Image: May Carlson. Headshot: Beloved Photography. Product Photography: Dawn Elizabeth Photography, Courtney Davidson Photography, Cupcake Photography. Testimonial Photo: Maddie Pier Antoni Photography.

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