Most jewellery advice is about buying. This is about the years afterwards: keeping pieces wearable, knowing what damages what, and recognising the small problems that become expensive if left.
Take rings off for the obvious things
Chlorine, bleach and the abrasives in most household cleaners attack alloys and loosen settings over time. Gym equipment bends bands. Hand cream builds up under stones and dulls them faster than anything else on this list. None of it is dramatic on any single occasion, which is exactly why it accumulates.
Clean gently and rarely
Warm water, a drop of washing-up liquid and a soft brush handles most pieces. Ultrasonic cleaners are excellent for hard stones in secure settings and a good way to destroy emeralds, opals, pearls and anything that has been fracture-filled. If you are not certain which category a stone falls into, do not put it in one.
Store pieces apart
Diamonds scratch everything, including other diamonds. A single compartment box or individual pouches costs very little and prevents the kind of surface damage that cannot be polished out without losing material.
Check the settings twice a year
Hold the piece to your ear and tap it gently: a loose stone rattles audibly before it falls out. Prongs thin with wear, and the repair while a stone is still in place costs a fraction of replacing a stone that is not.
Have the pieces you wear daily professionally checked
An annual inspection catches worn prongs, thinning shanks and stretched clasps. Anything worn every day is under constant mechanical stress, and the failure is always sudden even though the wear was gradual.
If you are still choosing rather than caring for a piece, our diamond education page covers what the grades mean.