Jewellery Care Guide

Aeternum jewellery is made in precious metals selected for permanence, structure, weight, and long-term wear. Proper care helps preserve the surface, detail, finish, and integrity of each piece.

Sterling silver, gold, platinum, gemstones, enamel, and oxidised details all behave differently. Care should be treated as part of owning the jewellery: a way to protect the material, maintain the finish, and support the life of the piece.

General jewellery care

Remove jewellery before sleeping, bathing, swimming, exercising, or using cleaning products.

Avoid direct contact with perfumes, lotions, hair products, chlorine, salt water, and household chemicals. These can affect the surface of precious metals and may damage certain stones, finishes, or surface treatments.

Store jewellery separately when it is not being worn. This helps prevent scratching, pressure marks, knocks, and unnecessary wear.

Precious metal jewellery is made to last, but it is not immune to impact, abrasion, chemicals, or poor storage. Careful handling helps preserve the form and finish over time.

Sterling silver care

Sterling silver naturally tarnishes over time. This is a normal characteristic of the metal and does not mean the jewellery is damaged.

To reduce tarnish, keep silver jewellery dry when not in use and store it in a sealed pouch, box, or jewellery case. Regular wear can also help slow tarnish, as contact and movement naturally polish the surface.

Use a soft polishing cloth to restore brightness where appropriate. Avoid harsh chemical dips, abrasive cleaners, or rough cloths, especially on detailed, textured, enamelled, oxidised, or stone-set pieces.

Sterling silver can be professionally refinished if needed. For pieces with darkened recesses or detailed surfaces, avoid over-polishing, as this may reduce contrast or soften the intended finish.

Gold jewellery care

Gold is a precious metal with lasting value, but it can still mark, scratch, or collect residue through regular wear.

Clean gold jewellery gently with a soft cloth. If needed, use warm water with a small amount of mild soap, then dry the piece fully with a clean, soft cloth.

Avoid abrasive polishing compounds unless the piece is being professionally refinished. Over-polishing can alter edges, soften detail, or affect the intended surface of the jewellery.

Gold pieces should be stored separately to protect polished surfaces, stone settings, and sculptural details from unnecessary contact.

White gold and rose gold care

White gold and rose gold should be cared for gently, in the same way as yellow gold.

Avoid harsh cleaners, abrasive cloths, chlorine, salt water, and chemical products. Remove jewellery before swimming, bathing, exercising, or applying perfumes, lotions, and hair products.

Different gold alloys have distinct tones and surface behaviours. Gentle care helps preserve the finish, colour, and material character of the piece over time.

Platinum care

Platinum is a dense, high-value precious metal known for durability and long-term wear.

Like all precious metals, it can still mark through contact, pressure, or abrasion. Clean platinum jewellery with a soft cloth and mild soapy water when needed, then dry it fully before storing.

For bespoke or stone-set platinum pieces, professional cleaning may be the safest option. This helps protect both the metal and the setting.

Ear tunnels, ear weights and body jewellery

Ear tunnels, ear weights, and body jewellery should only be worn in fully healed stretches.

Remove jewellery before showering, swimming, or exercising. This helps protect both the jewellery and the lobe, especially with heavier pieces or flared designs.

Clean the jewellery gently and make sure it is completely dry before wearing or storing. Avoid forcing flared jewellery into the ear, especially double flare or Mayan flare tunnels.

If the jewellery feels tight, painful, or difficult to insert, do not force it. Wearing the correct size and style is essential for comfort, balance, and long-term wear.

For heavier ear weights or hangers, remove the jewellery if the lobe feels strained, sore, or irritated.

Stone-set jewellery

Gemstones and diamonds should be treated with care.

Stone-set jewellery should not be knocked, dropped, twisted, or exposed to unnecessary pressure. Even hard stones can be damaged by impact, and settings can loosen through wear.

Avoid soaking stone-set jewellery unless you are certain the stones and settings are suitable for it. Some stones are more delicate than others, and some settings can trap moisture or residue.

Use a soft cloth for general cleaning. If a stone feels loose, stop wearing the piece and contact us before cleaning or wearing it again.

For bespoke stone-set pieces, care advice may vary depending on the stone, setting style, and intended wear.

Enamel, oxidised finishes and surface detail

Some Aeternum designs may include enamel, darkened recesses, oxidised details, or textured surfaces.

Do not use abrasive cleaners, polishing compounds, or chemical dips on these finishes. Harsh polishing can remove contrast, soften detail, or alter the intended surface.

Clean these pieces gently with a soft, dry cloth unless advised otherwise.

Oxidised and darkened finishes may naturally change with wear, especially on raised areas that come into regular contact with skin, clothing, or other surfaces. This is part of how the finish behaves over time.

Storing your jewellery

Store jewellery in a dry place, away from direct sunlight, moisture, and heavy contact with other pieces.

For sterling silver, a sealed pouch or jewellery box can help reduce tarnish.

For rings, pendants, stone-set pieces, and polished surfaces, separate storage helps protect edges, settings, and surface finish.

Avoid leaving jewellery loose in bags, drawers, bathrooms, or humid spaces. Proper storage reduces avoidable damage and helps preserve the piece between wears.

When to seek professional care

If a piece is bent, cracked, heavily tarnished, damaged, loose, or set with stones that feel insecure, do not try to repair it yourself.

Contact us for advice before taking the jewellery to another jeweller. Aeternum pieces are best returned to us for assessment where possible, so the material, finish, setting, and original construction can be checked properly.

Where repair, refinishing, resizing, stone tightening, or adjustment is possible, we will advise the best course of action before any work begins. Some aftercare may only require postage and packaging; more involved repairs, replacement stones, missing components, or damage caused by impact, misuse, wear, or third-party alteration may carry an additional cost. Return options may vary depending on location, the nature of the repair, and the requirements of the piece., 

Professional care is especially important for bespoke jewellery, stone-set pieces, enamelled designs, oxidised finishes, and jewellery with detailed sculptural surfaces.

Related Guides

For more information on the metals used in Aeternum jewellery, see our Jewellery Materials Guide.

For choosing the correct ear tunnel size, see our Ear Tunnel Size Guide.

For comparing flare styles, see our Mayan Flare vs Double Flare Ear Tunnels guide.