Important Information

We design and craft our treasures with hundreds of components and natural materials sourced from all over the world. Much of this is handcrafted and/or natural materials and components that are not always identical each time we order them. We are constantly striving to maintain our designs as you see them in the photography on our website, but sometimes we cannot obtain the exact patterns, precise design details, textures and colors of the materials and components as you see them on our web site. If we must use a component or material within one of our designs that differs somewhat from the photography on our site, we will strive to achieve equivalent or greater quality and character to what is represented in our photography.

The size and shape of some of the pearls and gemstones we create our jewelry from may vary slightly, so while we strive to achieve the exact overall size of the pieces as they are noted on the website, there may be slight variation. Please accept that we use high character natural materials and there will be some variation from one piece of jewelry to the next, but our goal is always for you to be thrilled with the jewelry that you have received from Jewels of the Reef.

Everyone’s computer can show color differently and as such, the colors you see on your monitor may differ slightly from the actual piece of jewelry. We photograph all of our jewelry under full spectrum lighting that is very close to natural daylight in color so as to reduce the impact of this potential difficulty. In order to give you the opportunity to view our products in great detail, some products may appear larger or smaller than their actual size in our photographs and since every computer monitor is set differently, actual size may vary slightly from what you perceive on your monitor.

At Jewels of the Reef we are passionate about our design and craftsmanship utilizing natural materials. We will not knowingly use any material that is a synthetic, lab created or fake material representing something it is not. We strive to avoid materials that have been artificially dyed or color treated as we specialize in the beauty of nature in our work. Still, there are some materials we choose to use rather than shun that are very popular today that have been treated in some way prior to our acquiring them. Natural stone and pearl enhancement, treatment and sometimes irradiation is a fact of life in the jewelry produced today and should be expected in the jewelry you buy from any source. It has become virtually impossible for us to know the specific treatments each material has gone through before we procure it simply because many sources do not disclose this information to us. Because we want you to be as educated on this matter as you are comfortable with, we are providing you with these links to other web sites that have descriptions of these processes and of the various stones.

Gem Select

Rings and Things

Gem by Gem Guide.

If you have questions on any of these issues please give us a call at 1-866-966-5687
or email us at craig@jewelsofthereef.com and we will be pleased to help.

Jewelry Care

Caring for Your Pearls

Even cultured pearls with thicker nacre coatings are more fragile than most other gemstones, so you must handle them carefully to keep them in the best condition.

• Your pearls will stay cleaner if you put them on after you've applied your makeup and perfume.

• Be sure to take off your pearl rings before you apply hand and body creams.

• Wipe your pearls with a soft, lint-free cloth as soon as you take them off. The cloth can be dampened with water or it can be dry. If damp, allow the pearls to air dry before putting them away.

• Dirty pearls can be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution (try Ivory flakes).

• Never clean your pearls with solutions that contain ammonia or harsh detergents.

• Don't put pearl jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner.

• Don't use abrasive cleaners or rub pearls with abrasive cloth. Both can wear away the nacre coating, leaving you with a plain looking bead.

• If your silk strung pearls get wet, do not hang them to dry as this will cause the silk to stretch. Lay them out flat on a soft cloth to air dry. Do not wear them, put them away or hang them again until they are completely dry.

Storing Pearls

• Don't store your pearls with other jewelry, because they can be scratched easily when metal or gemstones rub against them. Find a special slot in your jewelry box for the pearls, or keep them in a soft bag made from chamois or another non-abrasive material.

• Your fine pearl necklaces should be restrung periodically so that you're sure the silk or nylon cord holding them is in good shape.

Cleaning Gemstones

• This link connects to a valuable chart that shows us safe and unsafe ways of cleaning many precious and semiprecious stones. Please use care when cleaning any gemstones as permanent damage can occur very quickly if cleaned improperly. Click here to access the page.

• This link is to the International Colored Gemstone Association’s Gem Tips section. There is a great deal of information on this site that is of value. Click here to access the page.