Care & Warranty
Jewellery made to be worn and loved
Fine jewellery is designed to become part of your life — worn often, enjoyed and eventually passed on.
Diamonds, gemstones and precious metals are durable, but they are not indestructible. Clasps, settings, chains and claws can naturally experience wear over time, particularly when jewellery is worn every day.
With thoughtful care and regular maintenance, your jewellery can remain beautiful and secure for generations.
Caring for Your Jewellery
Wear with Care
We recommend removing your jewellery before:
- Exercising, gardening or doing physical work
- Swimming or using a spa or sauna
- Showering or sleeping
- Cleaning with household chemicals
- Applying perfume, hairspray, sunscreen or beauty products
Jewellery should ideally be the last thing you put on when getting ready and the first thing you remove at the end of the day.
Take particular care around hard surfaces. Although diamonds are extremely hard, they can still chip if struck at the wrong angle. Precious metals can also scratch, bend or wear through repeated impact.
Cleaning at Home
Most diamond and precious-metal jewellery can be gently cleaned with lukewarm water, a small amount of mild dishwashing liquid and a very soft toothbrush.
Clean around and underneath the settings carefully, rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Avoid abrasive cleaners, toothpaste, bleach and harsh chemicals. Home ultrasonic cleaners are not suitable for every gemstone or jewellery construction. Please contact me before using one if you are unsure.
Certain gemstones — including emeralds, opals, pearls and other delicate or treated stones — require specialist care and should not be soaked or cleaned using heat, steam or ultrasonic equipment.
Storing Your Jewellery
Store each piece separately in its original box or a soft-lined jewellery pouch.
Keeping pieces apart helps prevent chains from tangling and protects metals and gemstones from scratching one another.
Fasten necklaces and bracelets before storing them, and avoid leaving jewellery in direct sunlight, damp rooms or places exposed to extreme temperature changes.
Regular Inspections and Maintenance
Fine jewellery benefits from regular professional inspection, particularly pieces worn every day.
We recommend having frequently worn rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets checked approximately once a year. Pieces worn during sport, physical work or other active daily routines may need to be checked more often.
What We Assess During an Inspection
- Claws, settings and stone security
- Clasps, hinges and safety catches
- Chains, links and soldered joins
- Signs of stretching, thinning or impact
- General condition and professional cleaning requirements
When to Stop Wearing Your Jewellery
Please stop wearing a piece and contact me promptly if:
- A stone feels or sounds loose
- A claw catches on clothing
- A clasp no longer closes securely
- A chain, setting or ring appears bent
- You notice an unexpected change in the jewellery
Continuing to wear damaged jewellery may worsen the problem or result in the loss of a stone.
Our Workmanship Warranty
Every Sylvie Kirton Design piece is carefully inspected before it leaves our hands.
We provide a 12 month voluntary workmanship warranty from the date of delivery. This covers manufacturing faults in the workmanship of the piece under normal and appropriate use.
Where an assessment confirms a manufacturing fault covered by this warranty, we will arrange an appropriate repair or remedy.
What is Not Covered by Warranty
This warranty does not cover damage or deterioration caused by:
- Accidents, impact or improper handling
- Normal wear and tear
- Bent, worn or damaged claws and settings
- Scratches, dents or changes to the surface finish
- Broken or stretched chains
- Loss, theft or loss of a gemstone following accidental damage
- Exposure to chemicals, heat or unsuitable cleaning methods
- Failure to follow recommended care and maintenance
- Natural characteristics, inclusions or variations within diamonds and gemstones
- Repairs, alterations, resizing or other work carried out by another jeweller
Jewellery naturally changes through wear. Polished finishes may develop fine scratches, white gold may require future rhodium plating, and settings and clasps may eventually require maintenance. These changes are part of normal use rather than manufacturing faults.
Nothing in this voluntary warranty limits any rights or remedies you may have under applicable consumer law.
Repairs, Resizing and Alterations
Please contact me before arranging for another jeweller to repair, resize or alter a Sylvie Kirton Design piece.
Work completed by another provider may make it difficult to assess the original workmanship or determine the cause of damage. It may also affect what can be offered under our voluntary warranty, although it does not limit any rights that cannot legally be excluded.
After the warranty period, I am still very happy to assist with cleaning, repairs, resizing, resetting and refurbishment. Any work outside the warranty will be assessed individually and quoted before proceeding.
Some pieces cannot be resized, or can only be altered within a limited range, due to their construction, stone setting or design. Where possible, these limitations will be discussed when the piece is commissioned or purchased.
White Gold and Surface Finishes
White gold jewellery is commonly finished with rhodium plating to create its bright white appearance. This finish gradually wears with use and may need to be reapplied periodically.
High-polish, satin, brushed and blackened finishes will also naturally evolve over time. Refinishing and replating are considered ongoing maintenance and are not normally treated as manufacturing faults.
Gemstones and Natural Characteristics
Every natural diamond and gemstone is unique.
Variations in colour, inclusions, growth features and internal characteristics are part of a natural stone’s identity and are not considered defects. Some gemstones are more delicate than others and may require additional care or be less suitable for constant daily wear.
I will always advise you when a particular gemstone or design requires special consideration.
Insurance
We strongly recommend arranging appropriate insurance for valuable jewellery as soon as it is received.
Insurance may help protect you in the event of accidental damage, theft or loss — circumstances that are not covered by our voluntary workmanship warranty.
Please keep your invoice, valuation, gemstone report or diamond certificate in a safe place. Valuations may need to be updated periodically to reflect current replacement values.
Ongoing Aftercare
My relationship with clients does not end when a piece is delivered.
Whether your jewellery needs an inspection, professional cleaning, resizing, repair, refurbishment or a future redesign, please contact me. I am always happy to discuss the best way to care for your piece and help it remain part of your story for many years to come.