❓FAQs: August Edition

Each month we’ll be asking different members of the team to answer your questions. Feel free to send us your jewelry renovation queries in the comments or by replying to this email. I hope you enjoy and keep the questions coming!

-Sophie

How do I clean my jewelry?

Cleaning your jewelry at home is actually pretty easy. All you need is warm water, a few drops of dish soap and an old toothbrush (preferably soft!). I recommend letting your jewelry soak in the soapy water for about 10-15 minutes then giving it a gentle brush. If your jewelry has prongs (small metal arms that stick up from the ring and hold the stone) be extra careful brushing that area so you don’t loosen them. After that, rinse it with clean water and dry with a soft cloth and you’re good to go! If you think your jewelry needs extra attention, you can always bring it to a jeweler for a deeper clean.

— Annabel

Can you make a piece out of a special beach/sea glass find?

We can! As someone who loves to collect natural treasures, I think celebrating unexpected materials is one of the most impressive capabilities we have at Spur. One of my favorite projects we’ve created was Marie’s shell bracelet. We carefully cut sections out of the shells she collected during a meaningful time in her life and set them in 18k gold. Having the ability to touch the shells was an important aspect of the design, which feels especially gratifying next to the polished surface of the yellow gold. There is something so special about seeing this collaboration between nature and human craft.

As for setting sea glass, it is absolutely possible to incorporate into a piece of jewelry, especially with a secure prong setting.

— Slaveya

Is it crazy to reset a Tiffany engagement ring?

Not necessarily! A designer signature can definitely add value, but certain styles are more ubiquitous, so the real value may boil down more to the stones themselves. A good rule of thumb with signed pieces is to carefully remove the stones and save the setting. That way you have the option to reunite everything in the future and preserve the original design. That said, rare or one-of-a-kind antique or vintage signed pieces usually hold more value as a complete whole than as individual components, so are best left intact.

— Victoria

❓What do you want to learn more about? Send us your questions, big or small!