With UltraLuxe’s exhibition and event series coming up in October 2024, it’s time to take an assessment of your personal jewellery, gems and watch collection before you head out to peruse for more.
Maintaining the sparkle and keeping your valuables in tip-top shape is a regular affair. While wearing your jewellery is a good method of ensuring it retains its sheen, you’re sure to have favourites and some will stay locked away for a longer period of time. So here’s some tips for cleaning and storing the following 3 most common valuables you might keep in a safe deposit box:
1) Jewellery
Jewellery can come in a variety of silver or gold density levels, topped with gem stone or pearl, etc. High jewellery is generally worn on special occasions or physical environments where there isn’t much exposure to dirt or grime. On occasions where you do need to clean your pieces well, a few minutes’ soak in warm water with some soap is ample. Then simply give it a gentle rub, or with a soft fabric if necessary. You can dry it with a lint-free cloth. Note not to rub too hard as it may remove gold or silver plating on your jewellery, if there is.
There have been ultrasonic cleaners circling the market for low prices, receiving mixed reviews as to its effectiveness. It is a rather gentle cleaner and has a very low amounts of abrasion with regards to removal of dirt, making it ineffective for very stained or rusted metals. It might even feel like a little jacuzzi for your jewellery with its small vibrations, so you can try it out... though such a machine may have to run for a longer period of time to get the job done.
To store your jewellery, while pure gold and silver are highly resistant to corrosion, it is still a good practice to keep your pieces separate. Bi-metal corrosion usually occurs because of the use of nickel, copper or zinc in some silver sterling chains or rings, and costume jewellery. Hence, unless you know your jewellery to be 100% pure gold or silver, it is best not to pack together or allow contact of 2 different metals when stored for long durations in your safe deposit box.
2) Watches
In this heat, watches that are worn more regularly will see perspiration and dirt gathered in between the gaps of and underneath the watch strap.
For leather, it is a delicate material much like high jewellery. Pour soap in water and use a wrung-out cloth (not dripping wet) to remove stains or make quick wipes. Make sure not to let leather soak the water. Let dry and then buff with a leather conditioner on a monthly basis. If the strap is well worn, just change the leather strap for $20 at any watch store.
For stainless steel, rubber or fabric straps, just wash with soap as per normal (so long as the watch itself is water-proof). You can use a toothbrush to act as a scrubber to get in all the gaps too. Ensure it is dry completely though, because moisture can cause corrosion.
Most watches are made of stainless steel casing. So on the rare occasion that it does rust, heavy duty chemicals like WD-40 might come into play. You can spray it on for half an hour and then clean it off with a microfibre cloth. Though if it gets to this stage, a professional tune-up might be best.
3) Gold & Silver
Whether they are bars or bullions, gold and silver can created with a shiny glossy finish or matt finish (ie. roughened surface). And you’d generally want to keep your brilliant pieces fingerprint free.
Rubbing alcohol is safe to use on diamonds and on true gold and silver. If it is used on costume jewellery it can react with the metals such as nickel and tarnish the appearance though. Simply clean with an alcohol wipe or microfibre cloth.
To store in a safe deposit box, stacking these pure gold or pure silver bars and bullions together is fine, as these 2 metals will not galvanise to corrode when in contact. But if either are not 100% pure, ie. they are alloys, play it safe by keeping them separate.
Most metals do corrode at a consistent humidity of 60% or more. Gold and silver can tarnish or become dull when its surface come in contact with water. The exposure to moisture in the air reacts with the metal, and with our tropical climate, it can become hard to protect your precious metals in the long-term.
With climate control and military-grade protection in Vault@268, you can rest easy knowing your valuables are safe and secure with the people who know precious metals. Contact our team for a private tour of the safe deposit box facility - 67377 268, vault@268.com.sg
How to Clean & Store your Gold, Silver, Jewellery & Watches
With UltraLuxe’s exhibition and event series coming up in October 2024, it’s time to take an assessment of your personal jewellery, gems and watch collection before you head out to peruse for more.
Maintaining the sparkle and keeping your valuables in tip-top shape is a regular affair. While wearing your jewellery is a good method of ensuring it retains its sheen, you’re sure to have favourites and some will stay locked away for a longer period of time. So here’s some tips for cleaning and storing the following 3 most common valuables you might keep in a safe deposit box:
1) Jewellery
Jewellery can come in a variety of silver or gold density levels, topped with gem stone or pearl, etc. High jewellery is generally worn on special occasions or physical environments where there isn’t much exposure to dirt or grime. On occasions where you do need to clean your pieces well, a few minutes’ soak in warm water with some soap is ample. Then simply give it a gentle rub, or with a soft fabric if necessary. You can dry it with a lint-free cloth. Note not to rub too hard as it may remove gold or silver plating on your jewellery, if there is.
There have been ultrasonic cleaners circling the market for low prices, receiving mixed reviews as to its effectiveness. It is a rather gentle cleaner and has a very low amounts of abrasion with regards to removal of dirt, making it ineffective for very stained or rusted metals. It might even feel like a little jacuzzi for your jewellery with its small vibrations, so you can try it out... though such a machine may have to run for a longer period of time to get the job done.
To store your jewellery, while pure gold and silver are highly resistant to corrosion, it is still a good practice to keep your pieces separate. Bi-metal corrosion usually occurs because of the use of nickel, copper or zinc in some silver sterling chains or rings, and costume jewellery. Hence, unless you know your jewellery to be 100% pure gold or silver, it is best not to pack together or allow contact of 2 different metals when stored for long durations in your safe deposit box.
2) Watches
In this heat, watches that are worn more regularly will see perspiration and dirt gathered in between the gaps of and underneath the watch strap.
For leather, it is a delicate material much like high jewellery. Pour soap in water and use a wrung-out cloth (not dripping wet) to remove stains or make quick wipes. Make sure not to let leather soak the water. Let dry and then buff with a leather conditioner on a monthly basis. If the strap is well worn, just change the leather strap for $20 at any watch store.
For stainless steel, rubber or fabric straps, just wash with soap as per normal (so long as the watch itself is water-proof). You can use a toothbrush to act as a scrubber to get in all the gaps too. Ensure it is dry completely though, because moisture can cause corrosion.
Most watches are made of stainless steel casing. So on the rare occasion that it does rust, heavy duty chemicals like WD-40 might come into play. You can spray it on for half an hour and then clean it off with a microfibre cloth. Though if it gets to this stage, a professional tune-up might be best.
3) Gold & Silver
Whether they are bars or bullions, gold and silver can created with a shiny glossy finish or matt finish (ie. roughened surface). And you’d generally want to keep your brilliant pieces fingerprint free.
Rubbing alcohol is safe to use on diamonds and on true gold and silver. If it is used on costume jewellery it can react with the metals such as nickel and tarnish the appearance though. Simply clean with an alcohol wipe or microfibre cloth.
To store in a safe deposit box, stacking these pure gold or pure silver bars and bullions together is fine, as these 2 metals will not galvanise to corrode when in contact. But if either are not 100% pure, ie. they are alloys, play it safe by keeping them separate.
Most metals do corrode at a consistent humidity of 60% or more. Gold and silver can tarnish or become dull when its surface come in contact with water. The exposure to moisture in the air reacts with the metal, and with our tropical climate, it can become hard to protect your precious metals in the long-term.
With climate control and military-grade protection in Vault@268, you can rest easy knowing your valuables are safe and secure with the people who know precious metals. Contact our team for a private tour of the safe deposit box facility - 67377 268, vault@268.com.sg