[Cloudbringer]

Since my husband seems fond of surprising me with nice jewelry and usually gets the extended warranty coverage, I have to bring alot of jewelry in to our jeweler to be cleaned and inspected (to keep the warranty current) and I got to wondering how often (or do you do it at all?) most people get their jewelry re-finished or cleaned.

My engagement and wedding rings are of white gold (and platinum) and I had to have my diamond band re-finished before the wedding so I gather I'll need to do that about once a year, but never realized they coated white gold with a 'whiter' metal until the jeweler inspected the ring and told me that a month before the wedding. I always thought the other metals were part of the alloy.

I read somewhere that pearls need exposure to light to maintain their luster but I don't recall seeing how much exposure was enough. I guess that means wearing them or at least keeping the jewel boxes open now and then?

I use a cleaner at home on rings/earrings that seems to do a good job but boy when they do my diamond at the jewelers it is so much brighter, it's amazing. I think the jeweler uses steam and I could swear they mentioned 'sonic' the last time I was in. But they can't use either on tanzanite....there is an incredible amount to know about being a jeweler, I think!

[ 11-05-2004, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]