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Each piece of jewelry is unique: the gold colors, textures, shapes and even the size of your fingers vary. More than that, your jewelry accompanies you, in the most important moments as well as in everyday life. A piece of jewelry tells a story and is passed down from generation to generation: that’s why it’s important to take care of it in order to enjoy it as long as possible. Don’t forget: the patina of time is quite normal, and your jewelry will evolve with the years. But to optimize and preserve its shine, Paulette gives you her easy, quick and inexpensive tips.
Some materials are more sensitive to the passage of time
Gold oxidizes very little and therefore does not need to be cleaned regularly. Silver, on the other hand, tends to darken more and requires more frequent maintenance.
White gold is a special case. Most jewelry stores offer rhodium-plated white gold. It is an alloy of 75% pure yellow gold, its natural color, silver and copper and/or palladium. Because of its composition, white gold… is not really white, since the use of nickel in the alloy is prohibited because of the risk of allergies. Raw white gold is therefore a bit yellowish, which is why it is rhodium-plated. This means that it is immersed in a rhodium bath to give it a steel-white color. Depending on the type of skin, this rhodium plating is to be redone after several years, in order to find your jewel as on the first day!
At Paulette à Bicyclette, we don’t like this “yellowish” tint that white gold takes when the rhodium plating fades. So we use palladium-plated white gold, even for white gold. We soak it in a rhodium plating bath to give it that bright white hue. This makes it a more precious white gold than what is usually offered in jewelry stores. When the rhodium layer disappears, little by little, you may be seduced by the color of the raw white gold that will reappear! For the sake of harmony, we offer this metal mainly to women who already have a white gold engagement ring.
Prevention is better than cure!
The real secret to jewelry longevity is to get into the habit of preserving it! This simply means putting your jewelry (especially your ring) down during certain activities: climbing, moving, gardening, construction jobs, when you plan to carry heavy loads or use tools. Concerning sports, to avoid damaging your jewelry (tennis or golf for example favor micro-scratches), it is wise to practice these activities without jewelry on your hands. Depending on your profession, we recommend that you wear your ring around your neck.
In general, the best thing to do is to regularly put your jewelry in its case, for example at night, to minimize micro-scratches and deformations. But don’t let that stop you from living either: gold jewelry is solid and designed to withstand the trials of life!
Maintain a jewel with one or more stones
If you have a ring with one or more stones, it requires a maintenance worthy of the name, which has the advantage of being very easy to implement. This allows you to keep your jewel as long as possible, in very good condition, and to consider passing it on to the generations that follow you.
The ingredients for maintenance are simple to use and very easy to find. Daily care with a chamois cloth will preserve the shine of your jewelry. When you buy a jewel Paulette à BicycletteWhen you buy a Paulette à Bicyclette jewel, a chamoisine made in France will be added to your jewel case. It is a cotton fabric that has been impregnated with an antioxidant agent. It allows you to restore the shine and brilliance to your gold and silver jewelry. During its use, the chamois will blacken, it does not require any washing.
You can also use a soft toothbrush to avoid scratching your stone, and a little toothpaste or warm soapy water. It’s easy to do: take your jewelry, put a little toothpaste on your toothbrush, and scrub gently. You can soak your jewelry in warm soapy water for a few moments and then gently scrub it with the toothbrush. Stand over a closed sink or basin: if a stone falls out, you won’t lose it. Rinse and it’s done!
It is also possible, if you wish, to go directly to the store to clean your jewel. We will use an ultrasonic machine, which causes small shakes on the jewel, and allows to dislodge oxidation and dirt. It is a tub filled with water and soap most of the time, which carefully cleans every corner. This operation takes very little time, and your jewel will be returned to you as new! However, this cleaning system is not possible for all stones, especially for emerald.
Maintenance at Paulette à Bicyclette
You’ve been wearing your jewelry for a few years now and your texture needs to be rejuvenated? polished? retextured? reshaped?
You will have the possibility to come back to see us. Our creations being handcrafted, our jewelers will be happy to review your jewelry to take care of it. This service requires an expertise as well as an estimate.
Thank you for trusting us by letting us guide you through these few tips. And if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us in Paris or Lyon, our team will always be there to answer you as best as possible!