Gemstone

CARING FOR YOUR JEWELLERY

Welcome to the Red Book Guide on precious gems & jewellery. Jewellery by C Krishniah Chetty is guaranteed for life for quality of purity of the products as depicted in your bills & documents given at time of purchase. Please preserve your bills, quality reports, guarantee cards (when provided separately) for reference in valuations, for exchange or re-sale in future. They come in handy to sales staff & to any other fine jewellers who you may transact with later in life. We believe our jewellery will transcend generations.

We wish you and your jewellery will have a long and happy life together, and like all relationships, a little routine maintenance goes a long way to keep your life shining. These guidelines on how to prolong the life of C Krishniah Chetty jewellery, will explain how to protect, preserve and care for your new & old jewellery, gemstones, silver, platinum, artefacts & collectibles commonly sold by the C Krishniah Chetty Group of Jewellers.

COMPLIMENTARY CLEANING, HOT COFFEE OR FINE SOUTH AFRICAN WINE SERVICES AT C Krishniah Chetty.

We recommend you call us on +91 80 4100 1869 or +91 80 4000 1869, or email us on customercare@ckcjewellers.com or myjeweller@ckcsons.com, Fix a mutually convenient appointment, and you bring your jewellery to our showrooms & boutiques once a year, or latest once in two years, for a professional ultra-sonic & related cleaning, examination & if required further, costed jobs, appropriate to the condition of the jewellery.

Whilst your jewellery is being cleaned, you may enjoy a glass of wine or hot coffee. The process is likely to take half to two hours or more depending on the quantum of jewellery. We offer this service completely free of charge – simply drop into one of our showrooms & boutiques, with a prior appointment, with the jewellery and we will do the rest.

When to remove your beautiful jewellery

Mist jewellery may be worn 24x7. However, remember jewellery is made from amongst the softest of precious metals – gold, silver & platinum, in that order. These soft metals will scratch easily. Multiple minute scratches will dullen or take the sheen away. Therefore:

1. Do not ‘dump’ one piece of jewellery on another.

2. We advise each piece of jewellery be kept with some space or thin, soft fabric between each piece.

3. Protect the gemstones. Every gemstone is soft. Some are softer than others.

4. In order of softness:

Diamond, although they are brittle, hence can chip in corners if dropped.

ruby & sapphire.

All other transparent gemstones.emerald.

Porous gemstones that include pearl of all kinds, coral of all kinds, turquoise, malachite.

Links getting loose, strings snapping, clasps opening up, stones falling, sizes & length preferences change, tarnishing of metals.

Jewellery is normally made up of several links put together. Hence, with use, with stretching, some links may open up or get too tight.

Strings of beads, pearls, corals will wear out with time. Periodic restringing is necessary.

Clasps with use may become less strong or may become too strong.

Some metals, specially if silver is present, may tarnish with time.

These are exactly the reason C Krishniah Chetty offers a complementary cleaning, maintenance lounge in each of their showrooms & boutiques or a mail-in service for clients who do not have our stores close by. Our trained staff will ensure each piece is thoroughly checked, and appropriate action is taken to help protect the life of your precious jewel. The service is complimentary. If any parts, components, additional leave-in services are required, they will be charged extra with your prior consent.

Cleaning at home

Jewellery may be periodically cleaned at home by yourself. Simple ways are to give a gentle or firm rub of your surfaces of your jewellery every day or as often as you wear your jewellery, before & after wear.

Alternately, periodically use a small Ultra-sonic cleaner by immersing your jewellery for a few minutes. Instructions for use of Ultrasonic machines are simple. Ultrasonic machines cost between Rs 7500 to Rs 25000 and are sold by our showrooms or Click here to buy one now.

Instructions for use of Ultrasonic machines for jewellery cleaning:

CLEANING METHODS

There are four different cleaning methods that you can use for different situations.

Method 1: General Cleaning

Simply use soft dry special cloth supplied by ckcjewellers.com or at our showrooms from time to time to gently rub the gold, silver gemstones to bring a shine back and to remove fingerprints. Or alternately use a bowl of mild soapy warm water immersing the jewellery and brushing with soft toothbrush or any soft brush to remove residue or dirt from the jewellery.

Method 2: Periodical Cleaning of Regularly Used Jewellery.

For regularly used jewellery you may use special cleaning liquids available in small containers for your dressing table. These mild specially formulated cleaning liquids are designed for home cleaning. All you need to do is soak the jewel into the basket inside the container, brush stubborn dirt with the soft brush provided, soak again, rinse in plain water plain gently with the soft cloth and your jewel will sparkle all over again. To buy specialised liquid click here.

Method 3: Using ultrasonic cleaning at home

1. Buy a compact home ultrasonic machine and cleaning solution to frequently clean jewellery at home and make them look as good as new. To buy click here

2. Connect the unit to a power source. The Power Indicator Light should turn on and display a blue light

3. Open the upper cover, fill it with water and the special cleaning solution provided with the machine in the ratio specified by the supplier of the machine. (The water and solution should submerge the item/s, but not exceed the high watermark). Note: Running the unit without water can damage it!

4. Gently place the item into the basket provided and close the upper cover. You may place multiple items into the basket provided space such that the jewellery does not touch each other as they may scratch due to the vibration.

5. Press ON to start cleaning the item. The working indicator light should turn on. Note: During cleaning, the unit may make different sounds. These are perfectly normal.

6. After 3 minutes of cleaning, stop the unit. Lift the jewellery out examine to see if the jewel is clean. If you still see dirt use a soft brush to gently clean the gaps and behind the gemstones and immerse the jewel back for another minute of ultrasonic cleaning.

7. Rinse the jewel in a bowl of clean water. Shake the water out gently using a soft cloth and clean the jewel with dry soft cloth inside out.

8. If you wish to go through another cleaning cycle with the product, simply repeat steps 4 to 7 again.

9. When cleaning is over, unplug the unit from the power source. Then open the cover and remove the item from the water. Pour the water out into a sink. If you wish to clean your jewellery on a weekly or monthly basis you can leave the cleaning solution as it is and reuse till the water is visibly dirty.

Cleaning solutions are also available online - Click Here

Caution: Use ultrasonic cleaners only for open set jewellery or jewellery with non-porous(P*) gemstones also jewellery with worn out prongs, weak settings should not be immersed in ultrasonic cleaners as ultrasonic cleaners create microscopic bubbles that go into minute gaps of the setting and may cause weak settings to displace the gemstones.

Tip: Always as a safety measure do not wash your jewellery in an open sink as loose gemstones or weak settings may cause the gemstones to come out of the settings and you may lose them into the drain of the open sink.

Method 4: Professional Cleaning.

There are four different cleaning methods that you can use for different situations.

Once every two years C Krishniah Chetty Jewellers recommends you bring the jewellery to us for a thorough check for setting, polishing, for restringing and re conditioning your jewellery this may take our workshop and factory to completely inspect and carryout jobs on your jewellery or silverware to make them look as good as new, to the extent possible, and increase life of the jewellery. There will be cost estimate which we will let you know on receiving the jewellery/silverware.

General cleaning

Use a soft dry special cloth (available online at www.ckcjewellers.com or at our showrooms) to gently rub gold, silver and gemstones to restore shine and remove fingerprints. Alternatively, immerse the jewellery in a bowl of mild warm soapy water and brush gently with a soft toothbrush to remove residue or dirt. Rinse carefully and dry with a soft cloth.

Periodical cleaning for regularly used jewellery

For jewellery worn frequently, use specially formulated mild home cleaning liquids available in small dressing-table containers. Soak the jewel in the basket inside the container, brush stubborn dirt with the soft brush provided, soak again, rinse in plain water and gently dry with a soft cloth. The jewellery will regain its sparkle safely at home.

Home ultrasonic cleaning

Use a compact ultrasonic machine with the recommended cleaning solution. Fill with water and solution as specified (never run without water), place items in the basket without touching, and clean for 3 minutes; repeat briefly if needed. Rinse in clean water and dry gently. Ultrasonic cleaners should be used only for open-set jewellery with non-porous gemstones and not for worn or weak settings.

Professional cleaning

Once every two years, bring jewellery to C. Krishniah Chetty Group for inspection, polishing, restringing and reconditioning. Our workshop will thoroughly examine and restore items to extend their life and appearance as much as possible. A cost estimate will be shared after receiving the jewellery or silverware.

Jewellery Care

Remove jewellery during heavy or moderate tasks Jewellery ought to be removed and stored carefully before getting into moderate or heavy tasks such as at a gym, while handling vibrating equipment, while rough riding, swimming or sports & such activities for the same reasons stated earlier.

Jewellery should be put on last & taken off first

Jewellery ought to be worn last after you make-up your face and neck, after you've sprayed on perfumes, colognes, hair sprays, and the like. The chemicals in such cosmetics may discolour jewellery at times. Cleaning your undersurface and tops & sides before storing them back into the jewel cases will increase the good life of your precious jewellery.

Jewellery is best to remove before a bath

Open sinks in wash basins, in showers can wash away a loose diamond if loose in their setting. Hence as a precaution, it's best to remove the jewellery before a bath. Further soaps, shampoos, conditioners may contain chemicals that may discolour, or with regular baths 'melt' away minute amounts of porous gemstones. Soap is also 'oily' thereby deposition of thin layers of oil on diamonds & gemstones will make them appear dull, necessitating frequent cleaning. No jewellery into swimming pools, spas. Chlorine in water will reduce the life of fine jewellery hence try not to use them in this condition.

Cleaning Kit

Jewellery cleaning cloths sold online at www.ckcjewellers.com or at our showrooms & boutiques are best for cleaning Special cloths, with minimum fibre sare best for cleaning jewellery & restore their shine. Available for between Rs.300 & Rs.1000 each.

Warm water immersion

Warm water immersion (for non porous gemstones) is best for cleaning your jewellery. Warm water immersion for just a few minutes help remove soap, if any, stubborn dirt, and the like.Using a soft, really soft, brush will help remove stubborn dirt from the intricate portions between prongs, the crowns, & setting portions.

Damaged jewellery requires us

Bring damaged jewellery to us. We do advice you not clean damaged jewellery yourself.

Storage of jewellery

Jewellery should be stored in soft containers we offer you a range of jewel boxes for your home, for your travel or for your bank lockers.

Silverware cleaning

Cleaning silverware such as table articles, pooja articles, articles for your bar or giftware is easy. Silver as a rule will tarnish in time when coming into contact with sulphur in the air specially if the content of salt in the air is higher. C Krishniah Chetty Jewellers have a special formulation that you can buy and immerse in warm water.The solution will become frothy. Immerse your silverware into large bowls or sinks with this warm frothy solution you created using our formulation. Leave them immerse for 15 – 30 minutes. Gently rub your silverware with soft cloth removing the tarnish easily. Rinse in plain water wipe with a soft cloth or leave them dry tarnish would have disappeared. Another option is to use a silver foam or a silver polish available in containers.

Pearl cleaning

Pearls are soft and delicate they require a different cleaning agent. These too are available on www.ckcjewellers.com or at any of our showrooms.

Crystal cleaning

Fine homes have crystal chandeliers that hang from the roof or as table lights we have special formulation that bring sparkle your crystal including your crystal dining and wine glasses and barware.