Gold jewelry never goes out of style, and for good reason, because gold is as wearer-friendly as it is beautiful. Gold can be worked into nearly any shape, from tiny strands that do not break easily to very thin sheets. Gold can be manipulated nearly any way the artisan desires. It is valued on a karat system where 24K gold is pure gold, and 10K gold is 10 parts gold with 14 parts alloy.

Some tips to remember when caring for gold jewelry include:

• Be wary of makeup, moisture, and chemicals that may affect your gold jewelry's appearance.
• Keep gold jewelry out of swimming pools with chlorine; chlorine can damage it over a period of time.
• Check your gold jewelry for scratches or other damage. Bring it to your jeweler if there is any damage; we may be able to repair it.

Silver, one of the world's most useful metals, is also one of the world's most valuable metals. It can achieve a great polish and does not tarnish in its pure form. Most silver jewelry is silver combined with other metals (alloys). This makes it more suitable for general jewelry use.

Some tips to remember when caring for silver jewelry include:

• Silver is scratch-resistant but not scratch-proof.
• In addition to the general jewelry care steps, silver jewelry care can benefit from special silver jewelry cleaning solutions.
• Prevent your silver from being exposed to direct air and light contact. Avoid placing silver in chlorine-containing fluids.
• Be selective in what you use to clean your silver, i.e. pads, cloths, etc. Felt works well, as do special cleansing cloths designed for silver cleaning. Other materials, including tissue, should be avoided. Ask your jeweler for more information.

The purity of platinum is often higher than that of gold. Platinum jewelry is usually in the neighborhood of 90%+ pure. It also more "solid" than gold in terms of how resistant it is to tarnishing by chlorine, etc. It is very strong; plus, it is a very popular choice in jewelry making.

Some tips to remember when caring for platinum jewelry include:

• Fortunately, platinum is very durable and does not lose its polish very easily.
• Cleaning patterns are the same as other metals. For jewelry that combines platinum with other fine jewelry components (like gold), clean those substances and care for them as you would if they were not paired with platinum. Also, keep in mind the necessary steps for caring for these other components.