Every jewellery purchase from AC Silver is accompanied with a luxury jewellery cleaning cloth. For regular maintenance, cleaning cloths designed for jewellery are ideal. Gently rub over the item with the cleaning cloth in small circular motions. This is perfect for maintaining a pleasant shine in all jewellery metals and large gemstones.

Earrings that feature fine details such as clustered gemstones or claw settings often require more delicate cleaning. For this, a small cup of warm water, a tiny dash of dish soap, and a children’s toothbrush is all that’s required. It is important to use a children’s toothbrush for the softer bristles. Larger, firmer brushes can lead to damage in vintage and antique earrings.

Dip the head of the toothbrush in the sudsy water and tap away excess water. Begin with gentle pressure, cleaning in a circular motion similar to the cleaning cloth; this motion keeps the pressure even across the earring, and the bristles are able to reach in between delicate settings. Once you’re satisfied with your cleaning, leave the jewellery on some kitchen roll to dry fully before wearing them or returning them to the jewellery box. For the majority of your vintage and antique earrings, this cleaning method will bring up a fantastic sparkle and shine that keeps your jewellery looking stunning.

There are some important exceptions to this, however. Opal and pearl jewellery cannot be cleaned with soapy water as these stones are soft and it makes them vulnerable. Water and chemicals can damage these stones beyond repair, and they are easily scratched. Soft cleaning cloths are the best methods for keeping these jewellery items in good shape.

For luxury jewellery that is regularly worn, it is advised that you get an annual check-up. At AC Silver, we are happy to examine items purchased with us once a year with no charge, as well as provide a professional cleaning. This examination allows us to check the security of the gemstone settings. In antique earrings especially, this is a crucial step to ensuring the long life of the piece. The security of the fastenings of antique and vintage earrings can also be checked at these times.

The innovation of screw back earrings was something of a precursor to the clip-on style we see today. These earrings loop under the bottom of the earlobe and affix with a screw fastening to keep the earring in place without a piercing. The screws can be fiddly, especially with older examples. Remaining patient and performing many small turns of the screw mechanism is usually easier than attempting large turns.

Place the earring so that the front-facing side is sitting where you would like, and then hold it in place to begin screwing. It is important to screw the fastening in until you can feel it is snugly positioned against your lobe. The risk of screw back earrings falling off is small if you have screwed them on tightly enough. It would be best to wear your vintage screw back earrings around the house a couple of times before wearing them out and about. That way, you can assess how tightly they need to be screwed on in order to be both comfortable and secure.