In crafting your silver, gold, and platinum jewelry, I use a rotary polishing machine to achieve that super high shine final polish. As I learned in jewelry school, a piece of jewelry is never as shiny as when it first leaves the workbench. Over time, all jewelry will naturally get small nicks and scratches, transforming its super shiny new finish into a beautifully aged patina. This is totally normal and there’s no way to avoid it, however you can help to restore some of the surface shine by using a rouge polishing cloth, using the rouge side first and then a final buff with the yellow cloth, or just a plain polishing cloth. I wouldn't recommend trying to use a rotary buffer yourself, as it is easy to have it grab and toss a ring or mar the metal if you are not experienced using the tool.
Keep your stone sparkling and gunk-free by giving it a gentle cleaning as often as you wish. Use warm (not hot) water and gentle soap (like Dr. Bronner’s unscented liquid soap) and a soft toothbrush to gently brush on top of, around, and behind the stone if possible (sometimes the space behind the stone is tiny, so it may even just be a few bristles of the toothbrush that you use). Lotion and oils can build up on your stones quickly - you’ll be amazed at the difference in your stone even after a quick wash! Just be sure to plug the drain of the sink first if you do this nearby!
I don’t recommend using ultrasonic cleaners for jewelry with stones – gemstones themselves can be sensitive to the heat and vibration of these cleaners, and if their setting is out of adjustment the vibration can make it easy for the stone to fall right out.
It’s good to remove your jewelry before swimming in chlorine or salt water, as it can be damaging to precious metals and stones.
Gold and platinum do not tarnish. Wearing your jewelry in the shower is fine, however sterling silver jewelry will tarnish when in moist environments. To reduce tarnish, do not wear your silver jewelry when in the shower or when swimming. If your jewelry does tarnish, you can use a plain polishing cloth to remove the tarnish (see above). Don’t store jewelry in the bathroom – this will help prevent tarnish as well as any chance that it will end up falling down the drain!
As mentioned above, precious metal jewelry, especially rings, will naturally get small nicks and scratches over time creating a beautifully aged patina. However, to avoid major damage, I would not advise wearing your ring while doing any intense hands-on activity (such as gardening or rock-climbing) where it will have the chance to be scratched or banged up.
It is good to have jewelry checked periodically to be sure it is wearing properly. 
Sometimes prongs or clasps need to be adjusted over time, or other upkeep is necessary. Contact laurielynn@beryllina.com to schedule a free check up for your special Beryllina piece!
