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Precious Metals

In looking after your jewellery in this category, it is a good idea to sort through your jeweller box and then store all your precious jewellery together.

By “precious” metals we mean gold or silver.  In defining gold, you will find that your gold pieces will show a small stamp defining the quality of the gold. It will usually be placed in an inconspicuous place on the piece, either on the clasp of a necklace, inside a ring, etc… Depending on the origin of where your piece of jewellery was made, the inscription will designate either 18K or 14K or 9K.  European pieces may show 7.5 which is the European mark for 18K or 585 for 14K.

Sterling silver will usually be stamped either STERLING SILVER, or 925, or SILVER 900.

If you find that your precious piece also contains jewels, it may be that the jewels are precious, but sometimes precious metal can contain jewels that are “costume” or “glass”.  If the stones are prong-set there may be the likelihood that they are precious. Non precious stones are often glued into place.

Sometimes genuine gemstones can be found set into non precious metal.

In caring for your precious fine jewellery, the usual rules apply – it is a good idea to store them individually in a soft pouch, and should you feel the urge to clean them, do it gently.

There are some professional jewellery products on the market and it is usual for precious metal jewellery to respond well to those. Sometimes diamonds and gold can be gently washed in a weak solution of ammonia and water and then rinsed, and dried, and dried and dried, with a soft cloth.