How to care for your grillz in Paris's hard tap water

Why Paris's hard water matters for grillz

Hard water carries a high concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium. As the water evaporates off a surface, those minerals stay behind as a fine, pale residue — the same limescale you see ringing a kettle or clouding a shower screen in most Paris apartments. On polished silver or gold, that residue dulls the shine over time, and on stone-set pieces it can accumulate in the fine gap between a stone and its setting, making the piece look cloudy rather than bright.

This doesn't mean you should avoid tap water entirely — it means drying your set properly after every rinse, rather than letting water evaporate on the metal on its own.

The weekly clean, adapted for calcaire

A proper clean takes about five minutes and uses things you already have at home.

• Rinse the set under lukewarm tap water to clear loose debris — a quick rinse is fine, Paris water won't harm the metal or stones.
• Use a soft toothbrush, kept just for this, with a small amount of mild, unscented soap or a non-abrasive jewellery cleaner. Avoid toothpaste, which contains mild abrasives that dull polish over time.
• Brush gently around any stone settings, where mineral residue and food particles collect fastest.
• Rinse thoroughly, then dry immediately and completely with a soft, lint-free cloth — this single step matters most in a hard-water city, since it stops limescale forming as the water dries on its own.
• Store the dry set in its case, not wrapped in tissue or left loose in a bag.

If limescale has already built up

A light haze on plain metal usually lifts with a slightly longer soak in warm water and mild soap, followed by a gentle brush and a thorough dry. For stubborn build-up around stone settings, don't reach for descaling products or vinegar — these are too harsh for jewellery and can damage certain stones or metal finishes. Bring the set back to us instead; a professional polish restores the shine without any risk to the setting.

Coffee, wine and everyday Paris life

Café, a glass of red at dinner, and the odd cigarette are genuine staining risks for a grillz set, on top of the mineral content of the water itself. The fix is the same one that works anywhere: rinse soon after rather than leaving residue to sit. A quick rinse and dry after your café or an evening out takes thirty seconds and saves you from a much harder clean later.

When to bring it back to us

Routine care handles day-to-day shine, but a set benefits from a professional polish every so often, especially in a hard-water city like Paris. If your set looks persistently cloudy despite regular cleaning, or a stone feels loose, don't try to fix it yourself — get in touch and we'll take a look. Browse [prices](/prices) if you're also considering adding to your set, or head straight to [booking](/book) for an appointment.

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