Jewelry Care Guide
Here are our top tips for ensuring years of optimal brilliance.

Dazzling gemstones, precious metals, exquisite designs and expert craftsmanship – these are the hallmarks of Danbury Mint Jewelry. To keep your jewelry looking brilliant for a lifetime and beyond, follow these simple guidelines. 

Wearing Your Jewelry
The most effective way to keep your jewelry looking as stunning as the day you got it is to keep it out of harm’s way. Along with good common sense, here are some rules to follow to keep your jewelry looking its best: 

• Put on your jewelry after you've finished applying cosmetics, perfumes and hair products, including hairspray.
• Do not expose your jewelry to harsh household chemicals, such as bleach, or chlorine from a swimming pool. These chemicals can damage gemstones and permanently discolor gold and silver. 
• Take off your jewelry before swimming or bathing. If not dried thoroughly, water causes silver to tarnish and can weaken springs and clasps. 
• Take off your jewelry before you go to bed, before doing manual labor and before playing sports. Prongs can snag on linens while you sleep, and stones can be jarred loose or chipped if hit hard enough. 

Cleaning Your Jewelry 
Over time, metals can tarnish and lose their luster, and gemstones can develop a dull film on their surface from exposure to the environment and skin oils. Fortunately, a few minutes of maintenance will restore your fine jewelry to the full brilliance that first caught the eye. 

• Clean your gold and silver gemstone jewelry with a solution of lukewarm water and a few drops of mild dish soap. Clean the settings with a soft brush. Brush gently to avoid scratching the metal sections. Rinse with clean water and dry the jewelry thoroughly with a soft cloth. 
• Never soak porous stones such as pearls or turquoise. To keep your pearls and turquoise in good condition, wipe them with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth. 

Storage 
The key to protecting your jewelry is not only in how you wear it, but how it is stored. Here are a few tips to keep your jewelry brilliant every time you go to put it on: 

• It is very important, especially for silver items, to thoroughly dry your jewelry before putting it in an enclosed space. Moisture will foster tarnishing, can weaken clasps and springs, and can cause damage to some gemstones. 
• Store each piece of jewelry in a separate compartment in your jewelry box or in the pouch that came with the piece. 
• Do not overcrowd your jewelry box when it becomes too small for your collections as clasps and prongs can scratch gemstones and metals. 
• Fasten clasps and hang chains from hooks or lay them loosely in a compartment or box to avoid tangling. Do not wind chains tightly as they can develop permanent kinks and bent links.

Special Instructions for Watches

• Remove any protective film covering the front and/or back of the watch case before wearing.
• If you need to re-size a watch with a metal band, we recommend taking it to a jeweler. Your local mall may also have a store or kiosk that can assist you. 
• Replace the battery if time-telling seems irregular or stops completely. We recommend that the battery be replaced by a qualified technician or jeweler, who should also clean the watch at the same time. 
• Pulling out the crown for extended amounts of time is not recommended. 
• If your watch is marked as water resistant, it is humidity-protected. This means it can handle everyday contact with water, like from washing your hands or being out in the rain. It does NOT mean that your watch can be fully submerged in water while swimming or showering (unless the instructions in your specific watch manual state otherwise).