How to Clean and Care for Your Jewellery: Gold, Vermeil, Silver, and Platinum

The brilliance of a jewel is built over time. Regular care, tailored to the metal and stones, preserves its radiance and extends its life. This guide brings together all the right gestures so your pieces can journey through the years without losing their light.

Last on, first off. This is the golden rule, and it is enough to prevent most damage. You apply your perfume, your creams, your makeup. Once everything is in place, you put on your jewellery. When you return home, you remove it first, before cleansing your face or washing your hands.

Fine jewellery gold is never pure gold: other metals are added to give it durability. These are the elements that react to alcohol-based fragrances, creams, and foundations. Silver and vermeil tarnish even more quickly.

For silver and vermeil, one simple gesture helps detect tarnish before it takes hold: run your nail gently across the surface. A slight catch or a grey mark, and it is time to clean.

Warm water, mild soap, a soft brush: that is all you need. Silver darkens because it reacts naturally to air and humidity, and because perfume, perspiration, and certain foods accelerate the process. This is not a flaw; it is simply its nature.

If the tarnish runs deep, or if your piece is set with delicate stones, entrust it to a professional. A poorly calibrated ultrasonic bath can crack an Emerald or loosen a pearl. We work with trusted goldsmiths, reachable directly by email or phone for a quick quote.

The same method as for silver, at a lower frequency: every two to three weeks is enough for 18K yellow gold worn daily. Rose gold requires the same care as yellow gold.

Pure gold, for its part, never tarnishes. But it is too soft to hold a stone or withstand daily wear, so it is alloyed with other metals that give it its strength and, in return, react slightly. What you see when a gold piece loses its brilliance is not corrosion; it is a film of cream, soap, and skin residue that has settled on the surface. Our 18K yellow gold creations contain no nickel, the leading cause of allergic reactions; this is still a concern with certain older white gold pieces or those made outside of Europe.

Do take care with stones, however. Emerald does not respond well to temperature changes: avoid boiling water or sudden shifts from hot to cold. Sapphire and Ruby can withstand almost anything. Diamond too, but it attracts grease, which is precisely why it needs frequent cleaning to restore its brilliance.

It is worth knowing whether your piece is solid gold or gold-plated, as the two require different care, and a plated piece polished like solid gold will wear away. If you are unsure, five simple at-home tests can help you determine this. The first instinct should be to check the hallmark: in France, 18K gold bears an eagle's head on older pieces, and the number 750 on more recent ones.

Platinum asks for almost nothing. It does not tarnish, does not oxidise, and reacts to no common cosmetic. You wear it, and it endures the years. An occasional rinse with clean water is all that is needed if you notice a soapy residue.

Over time, it develops a patina, a subtle matte veil that softens its reflections without altering its colour. Some prefer it to the original shine; others choose to have it removed. This is a matter of personal taste, not maintenance.

To restore the brilliance of the first day, a professional polish once a year is all that is needed. We recommend using this as an opportunity for a full inspection: settings, clasps, and overall integrity. Platinum does not break, but a significant impact can loosen a stone.

These three metals resemble gold, but none of them age quite like it.

The vermeil is silver coated with a thick layer of gold. The layer protects, but it does not replace the silver beneath: vermeil is therefore cared for like silver, with weekly cleaning, always removed before contact with water, and stored in a dry place. Worn carelessly, it can tarnish within a few months. It is not friction that wears it down first, but the residue that accumulates between relief details: a soft brush and gentle soap will take care of that. Avoid rubbing it dry repeatedly, however, as this gradually thins the gold layer.

White gold is coated with rhodium, a silvery-white metal that gives it its cool brilliance. This plating does wear away: expect two to three years of daily wear, sometimes less if you never remove your rings. When it fades, white gold shifts to a creamy yellow, which is simply its natural colour. A professional re-plating restores its original finish.

Rose gold holds no surprises: its colour comes from its alloy, not from a plating, so it will never fade. Care for it just as you would yellow gold, every two to three weeks.

Not all stones share the same resilience, and it is always the harder one that scratches the other. Diamond scratches absolutely everything. Sapphire and Ruby come close behind and are nearly impervious to damage. Emerald, however, is considerably more delicate: stored next to a Sapphire, it will come away marked.

Hence the golden rule of storage: one jewel per compartment, never loose, never stone against stone. A single impact between two diamonds is enough to chip the edge of a cut.

Sapphire and Ruby can be cleaned exactly as you would gold: warm soapy water and a soft brush. Nothing particular to watch out for.

Emerald requires more care. It is almost always oiled to soften its natural inclusions, and heat causes that oil to migrate. Hand-cleaning only: no ultrasonic cleaners, no boiling water.

Diamond attracts grease: skin oils, creams and soap residue settle on the surface and dull its brilliance. A diamond worn every day without cleaning loses its sparkle within three weeks. A weekly rinse in soapy water is all it takes to restore it.

Our Canopée Emerald, Horizon Sapphire and Sunset Sapphire gradients bring together several stones of differing hardness on a single piece. Cleaning should be guided by the most delicate stone: by hand, with great care, and never with an ultrasonic cleaner.

One compartment per piece. Divided storage boxes prevent metal-on-metal and stone-on-stone contact. Two gold bracelets can scratch each other if stacked together: clasps, settings and facet edges are all hard points that leave marks.

The ideal environment is dry, dark and at a stable temperature Humidity causes silver and vermeil to tarnish more quickly. Certain coloured stones fade in direct light, amethyst in particular. And temperature fluctuations weaken Emerald.

Mayuri jewellery cases are designed for exactly this: scratch-resistant inner velvet, a secure closure, and a size tailored to each piece. They are equally suited to everyday storage and travel.

Almost every piece of jewellery that comes back to us for repair has suffered the same everyday gestures, repeated without a second thought. None of them are dramatic; all of them leave their mark.

Once a year is enough. A goldsmith examines each setting under a loupe, tests the strength of the prongs, checks the clasps, and inspects the soldering. A slightly bent prong can be straightened, a clasp that has lost its tension can be replaced, and a light polish will erase the fine scratches that accumulate over time.

Certain signs, however, call for an immediate visit: a stone that moves within its setting, even ever so slightly, will eventually fall out. A loose clasp, a misshapen chain link, a deep scratch that catches on fabric, a band that has lost its roundness: each of these details signals a vulnerability.

A ring that can no longer be removed falls under the same principle: never force it. Fingers swell with heat, water retention, or simply the passage of time, and pulling on the band only worsens the swelling. Hold your hand elevated for a few minutes, apply a little liquid soap or vegetable oil, then gently rotate the ring in smooth, steady movements. This is enough in the vast majority of cases. If the finger changes colour or becomes painful, seek emergency care without delay, as specialists have the tools to open the band cleanly. A piece of jewellery can always be repaired.