Jewelry Care Instructions

Proper care and handling of your jewelry will help ensure its beauty lasts.

General Jewelry Care

Jewelry should be treated with the same care you would afford a fine garment. It will last longer and look better if it is not worn while sleeping, swimming, showering, engaging in sports, or doing strenuous work. Protect individual pieces of jewelry from touching each other, as stones and metals can scratch. Always store jewelry separately.

Le Vian recommends cleaning most jewelry containing harder gemstones* in denatured alcohol with a soft brush. Do this over a small dish or bowl, never over an open sink drain, and rinse thoroughly in clean lukewarm water.

Avoid using ultrasonic and steam cleaners, as they can damage certain gemstones and should only be used by professional jewelers. These cleaners can hasten the loss of stones that may have loosened in their mountings. Jewelry made with softer, more delicate, or porous stones such as opal (of any variety, including fire opal), coral, pearls, and emeralds should not be cleaned in alcohol. Instead, clean them with a soft, damp cloth. Do not use alcohol containing oils or fragrances for cleaning jewelry. For deep cleaning, refer to Le Vian or your Le Vian Authorized Retailer for assistance.

Swimming and showering with your jewelry can be harmful as substances like chlorine and seawater can damage the metals and gems. This is also true for fragrances, so always apply colognes and perfumes before putting on jewelry and never spray them while wearing jewelry.

Neopolitan Opal™ Care

Neopolitan Opal™ differs from other opal varieties in its propensity to absorb moisture. When immersed in pure water, Neopolitan Opals may become clearer due to water absorption. Once allowed to dry for 24-48 hours, they usually return to their original appearance. Because they retain moisture, Neopolitan Opal™ may absorb color compounds in liquids (like commercial jewelry cleaners). Therefore, immersion in any liquids is not advised. Clean your Neopolitan Opal™ only with a soft, clean, dry cloth.

Robin’s Egg Blue Turquoise™ Care

To care for your Le Vian Robin’s Egg Blue Turquoise™ jewelry and prevent discoloration of the turquoise, avoid exposing it to harsh substances or conditions such as high heat and direct sunlight, which can cause discoloration. Keep your jewelry away from chemicals, including cleaning agents, sunscreen, cosmetics, fragrances, and even some soaps, as turquoise is a porous stone and can absorb these substances, leading to discoloration or damage. Clean your Le Vian Robin’s Egg Blue Turquoise™ jewelry safely using a soft cloth.

Metal Care

A common cause of discoloration when wearing gold rings is "metallic abrasion" caused by skin lotions, creams, or other cosmetics applied to the skin. These cosmetics often contain finely ground minerals and other compounds that are harder than gold (remember: gold is soft). The compounds are mildly abrasive and will rub off very tiny particles of the metal, which can appear as dark smudges on porous surfaces such as your skin or clothing.

How to Avoid Discoloration:

• Metal Abrasion: Avoid exposing jewelry to lotions, creams, and cosmetics. When applying fragrances, do so before putting on jewelry. Remove rings and jewelry when applying cosmetics and always wash hands to remove residual cosmetics before putting on jewelry.
  
  
• Corrosion of Metals: Avoid wearing jewelry in situations where you expect to sweat. Remove your jewelry often and use an absorbent powder like cornstarch (make sure it does not contain abrasives) on your fingers or any part of the skin that has jewelry on it. Remove rings from your hands before using soap, cleaning compounds, and detergents, and clean jewelry often.

Rhodium and Black Rhodium

Vanilla Gold® is created by using more white metal in its alloy to create a whiter color than pure gold. However, a pure white color cannot be achieved in any white gold product, since at least 58.3% of its makeup is pure yellow gold. For this reason, all Vanilla Gold® (of any karat) receives a final finish of white rhodium on its exterior surface. Rhodium is a hard metal in the platinum family of precious metals that provides a heightened degree of whiteness to finished Vanilla Gold® pieces.

Note: Though rhodium is hard, it can sometimes wear away in places that are regularly subjected to friction (like ring shanks). It is important to remember that rhodium can be restored. If you think your ring is "turning yellow," Le Vian can easily refresh the rhodium on Vanilla Gold®.

Black rhodium contains the same basic element as white rhodium, with an additional component added to create its dark color. Black rhodium is applied on areas immediately surrounding Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds® to enhance their rich chocolate color. Le Vian black rhodium is specifically formulated and applied to be a deeper black than others on the market. As with white rhodium, black rhodium can be easily refreshed if friction or other damage exposes the underlying precious metal.

 

*Harder gems include stones such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies, aquamarine, morganite, and garnets.