CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Fine Jewelry

Wearing your fine jewelry

CHANEL jewelry pieces are created using exceptional gemstones and precious metals selected for their aesthetic quality and rarity. To preserve their brilliance, it is recommended that you handle them with care. By taking a few precautions for use and maintenance, you will be able keep your jewelry in perfect condition for a long time.

The precious stones and metals from which your CHANEL Fine Jewelry is crafted are delicate materials. Choose your piece of jewelry according to your activities.

It is best to avoid wearing your jewelry in the following situations:

  • When washing your hands, in order to prevent soap deposits from slipping into small crevices and tarnishing your piece of jewelry.
  • When doing activities requiring the use of corrosive products (gardening, cleaning, dishwashing…) in order to avoid damaging the stones that adorn your piece of jewelry.
  • When practising sports, in order to avoid impacts and scratches.

It is also best to avoid:

  • Exposing jewelry to strong heat: temperature changes can irreversibly damage precious stones.
  • utting on perfume and make-up while wearing your jewelry: chemical ingredients contained in cosmetics are harmful to certain stones.

Storing your piece of jewelry

A piece of jewelry can easily scratch another. It is therefore strongly recommended that you store each piece of jewelry individually in its case or travel pouch.

Be sure to always close your chain’s clasp to avoid any knots forming.

Checking your piece of jewelry

Simple actions allow you to check the condition of your piece of jewelry.

Before wearing it:

  • Check that closing systems work perfectly.
  • Check that stones are secure. To do so, delicately pass your finger over the stones.
  • If they are moving, our jewellers should adjust the setting.
  • Check that the silk thread of your pearl necklace is not loose.
  • If so, a pearl re-stringing service on a new silk thread is necessary.

If there is any doubt, it is recommended you drop off your piece of jewelry at a CHANEL boutique where it will be examined by our jewelry experts.

Taking care of your piece of jewelry

To preserve their brilliance, special care must be given to each type of gemstone based on their mineral properties. We recommend that you bring in your fine jewelry every year to a CHANEL boutique. It will be carefully taken care of by our expert jewelers.

Advice for each type of stone or precious material is further detailed below.

GOLD
To avoid scratches, keep your gold jewelry from rubbing against other set pieces of jewelry. Polishing and rhodium plating for white gold return the material to its near original shine and removes marks of wear and tear. Do not hesitate to come into a CHANEL Fine Jewelry boutique to request these services. Clean your gold jewelry with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
PLATINUM
To avoid scratches, keep your gold and platinum jewelry from rubbing against other set pieces of jewelry. Clean your platinum jewelry with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
CERAMIC
Non oxidising material, ceramic is hard to scratch. However, deposits of materials giving the appearance of scratches can form upon contact with other pieces softer than ceramic, such as gold or titanium. A simple cleaning in our workshops can remove these marks. Clean your ceramic jewelry with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
PEARLS
Pearl is an organic material which needs to be worn regularly and is very sensitive to chemical substances. In order to preserve its brilliance, avoid putting it in contact with cosmetics that could alter the shine (perfumes, creams…). Store your pearl jewelry in its original case, away from other pieces of jewelry and covered with a soft cloth in a humid place. To humidify the air, you can also put a small glass of water close to your piece of jewelry. Clean with a damp soft cloth.
DIAMOND
A diamond can only be scratched by a diamond but it easily scratches every other metal or stone with which it comes into contact. In order to avoid scratching, it is recommended not to wear multiple pieces of jewelry on the same finger or wrist. Despite its hardness, the diamond remains a delicate stone, likely to break in the event of a strong impact. Clean your diamond with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
EMERALD
Particularly sensitive to temperature changes, avoid exposing your emerald to thermic shocks or extreme heat sources. Emerald is a delicate stone. It requires particular care, only available through our expert jewellers. We therefore ask that you visit a CHANEL Fine jewelry boutique for any maintenance of your emerald-set jewelry.
RUBY
Clean your ruby with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
SAPPHIRE
Clean your sapphire with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
AGATE
Agate is sensitive to thermic changes, cosmetics (creams, perfumes…), detergents and cigarette smoke. By penetrating the stone, these products may change its colour. Clean your agate with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
AQUAMARINE
Particularly sensitive to temperature changes, avoid exposing aquamarine to thermic shocks or extreme heat sources. Clean your aquamarine with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
AMETHYST
Particularly sensitive to temperature changes, avoid exposing amethyst to thermic shocks or extreme heat sources. Clean your amethyst with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
CHALCEDONY
Sensitive to light, chalcedony’s colour can fade. In order to preserve the colour of your stone, avoid exposing it to extreme light sources. Clean your chalcedony with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
CITRINE
Despite its sturdiness, citrine is sensitive to intense heat and acidity. Avoid contact with acidic products as well as prolonged exposures to high temperatures. Clean your citrine with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
IOLITE
Clean your iolite with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
ONYX
Onyx is sensitive to thermic changes, cosmetics (creams, perfumes…), detergents and cigarette smoke. By penetrating the stone, these products may change its colour. Clean your onyx with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
OPAL
Opal must not suffer any intense thermic shock nor be exposed to dry heat, which would risk dehydrating it. Contact with chemical products may also dry it out and alter its iridescence. Over the course of its life, an opal’s weight can vary due to water loss. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Clean your opal with a soft cloth.
PERIDOT
Peridot is a stone sensitive to thermic shocks. Avoid exposing your piece of jewelry to violent temperature changes or extreme climates, it might damage it. Clean your peridot with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
QUARTZ
Clean your quartz with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
SPINEL
Clean your spinel with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
TANZANITE
Tanzanite is a delicate stone which is particularly sensitive to impacts, scratches and violent temperature changes. Clean your tanzanite with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
TOPAZ
Like diamonds, topaz is a very hard stone but it is likely to crack from a violent impact. Keep your topaz away from chemical products and from light which may alter its colour. Clean your topaz with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.
TOURMALINE
Clean your tourmaline with warm water and a soft brush before drying it with a soft cloth.