All Things Desiderate ... Blog

Did you know the Desiderate Jewellery collection doesn’t just live within the virtual world and you can actually browse some of the range in store?

Our range of boho style and silver and gemstone jewellery have a second home - a physical shopfront called the ‘Thirroul Collective’ and you can see it here: https://thirroulcollective.com.au

Located 13km north of Wollongong in the tranquil seaside suburb of Thirroul, the store displays a range of unique gift ideas from a dozen or more businesses. 

Cleaning your jewellery! 5 things you need to know

Don't dull your own sparkle – clean those gems!

Maybe you racked up an Afterpay account that makes you bank account shriek, just a little, maybe you've collected a treasure trove of jewellery beauties over a series of birthdays – your pieces are your bling and you love them. Keep them shiny and safe by cleaning them, the right way.

Every girl needs to know how to shine her jewels because nobody got time for dull gems.

 How to clean gemstone jewellery

Most gemstone jewellery is best cleaned with warm water, a little detergent and a soft brush, like a toothbrush. Gently scrub with the soapy water to loosen all the dirt particles and then since thoroughly in clear water and polish dry with a soft cloth.

Firstly, get to know the gemstones in your jewellery collection.

You can't just clean everything the same way because, like us, each gemstone is unique. Here are some of our faves.

• Wipe your pearls down careful after each wear with a soft damp cloth. You can also gently wash with lukewarm water and use a soft cloth to dry them. Pearls can be damaged both by harsh cleaners and by not keeping them clean. Pearls are a timeless jewellery investment so take good care of them.
• Herkimer Diamonds. Desiderate is Australia's leader in Herkimer Diamonds and have a stunning collection of these beautiful crystals, these are best washed with detergent in water and a soft toothbrush to loosen any dirt and dry them with a cloth.
• Gorgeous Moonstones are cleaned both to enhance their beauty and sometimes people clean their “energy” also to encourage positive vibes and magic. It's easy to clean Moonstone jewellery with detergent and water, very gently and rinse well. Don't use abrasive cleaning cloths or commercial cleaners with strong chemicals. Traditionally one of the ways to remove negative vibrations from a moonstone is to hold it briefly (and carefully, don't drop it!) underwater like a river or the ocean. If you don't either of those options handy? You can use a bowl of water at home.
• Because of its colouring, regular cleaning of your Aquamarine is highly recommended. Use detergent and water and you can also use a very soft toothbrush (if needed).
• Emerald. Keep your Emeralds enchanting with regular cleaning. The best method for cleaning Emerald jewellery is with detergent and water, a soft toothbrush and rinse off with lukewarm water. Dry with a cloth.
• Sapphires are generally a stone that does not need regular cleaning. You don’t need any strong commercial cleaners. Warm soapy or detergent water works great with sapphires. Dry with a cloth. Use a toothpick to clean grooves and edges if needed.
• Cleaning Garnet jewellery is easy with warm soapy water and be sure to rinse well and shine up with a polishing cloth.
  
  Why does my jewellery lose its shine and what causes dull gemstone jewellery?
  Jewellery gets dirty from everyday activities, like working, cooking and cleaning.
  The pollution in the air causes tiny dirt particles to cover and dull your jewellery.
  If you wear your jewellery while putting makeup on you'll find makeup dust will coat your jewellery and make it dirty.
  You should always put jewellery on after doing your hair and makeup as hair sprays can land on your jewels and if you use a product with your hands and then touch your jewellery, you'll transfer it and make your pieces dirty.
  
  Why does my silver jewellery go dark or green or lose its shine?
  Sterling Silver tarnishes when exposed to the air, skin and humidity.

• Next, match the cleaning method

  Cleaning cloths. Chose the perfect cleaning cloth. If you have beautiful jewellery that you love this is something you really should invest in.

  • A great cloth like a Desiderate jewellery cloth is a must-have to look after your jewellery.
  • Our skin can often tarnish silver jewellery, so a silver jewellery cloth is brilliant for polishing your silver jewellery to perfection.
  • You can polish the silver and shine up the gemstones with a soft cloth.
  • Even when using other cleaning methods this is great to use as well.
  • Our jewellery cloth has a 5-star rating on our website. “So easy to use and keeps my jewellery shiny,” said one customer in a review.

   

  Detergent and water. It is simple but for some jewels, it's the best method.

  • You just need lukewarm water, a bowl, a soft brush and preferably a cloth to dry your gemstone pieces.
  • This is one of the most popular methods for a lot of gemstone jewellery and recommend by gemstone specialists.
  • Make sure it is a very weak ratio of detergent to water.
  • Make sure your gemstone is okay with water washing.
  • Rinse well with clear water to remove the detergent.
    
    

  Warm water. This is used to give many types a quick polish/clean to get them sparkling again in-between wears.

  • It is just a little bit of warm water in a bowl and maybe a very soft toothbrush to give jewellery a quick clean.
  • Make sure your gemstone is okay with water washing.
    
    

  Commercial cleaning liquids. You can find quite a large range of jewellery cleaning dips and liquids online, just make sure they are safe for your particular piece of jewellery. Some are really effective and do a nice job but also, some that contain ammonia and harsh chemicals can be very damaging to certain gemstones.
  If you use a jewellery cleaning dip or liquid, make sure to rinse in clear water thoroughly or the silver will oxidise and tarnish.

   

  The simple rule of thumb is to always be careful and gentle with your gemstones, they are always worth the love!

   

June girls are goddesses - beautiful, and greatly desired – just like their gemstones. A gift of Moonstone or Pearl jewellery is a perfect gift for a June birthday girl.

Known for their big hearts and sarcastic sense of humour, people born in June are rather intuitive and tend to be led by their gut feelings about things, they can smell danger a mile away. Surprisingly secretive about their true emotions though, a June Babe generally takes her time about opening up in front of people only revealing her true feelings in front of people who are extremely close.

Aquamarine, the beautiful gemstone that evokes the beauty, calm and the inspiration of the sea. A piece of aquamarine jewellery is a fabulous choice when shopping for a birthday gift in March. 

Not only are March babes generally great managers, but they can be super creative and more likely to be a musician than if born in a different month. There are more pilots with March birthdays and statistically people born in March have better eyesight.