Jewelry Care
Caring for your handmade jewelry is as easy as caring for any
other fine jewelry. I recommend either using mildly sudsy water
for cleaning, then light polishing with a jewelry polishing cloth, such as a, Goddard's Long Shine Cloth, sunshine cloth or selvyt cloth,
or
having your
jewelry cleaned by a professional. There are, however, many other
methods for cleaning jewelry. Please do be sure that your gemstones
and pearls in the jewelry can withstand whichever method you choose. All fine jewelry should not be subjected to strenuous activities of any kind.
Caring for your jewelry properly will help it last for a lifetime of
wear.
The short version: Keep jewelry away
from scratching, banging, chemicals of all kinds, swimming pools, hot tubs, extreme temps, strenuous activity,
and intense sunlight. The chlorine and bromine in pools and hot tubs is particularly damaging to stones and metal, and will even damage solid gold. Wipe your jewelry off with a soft cloth after you wear it. Clean it regularly
with mildly sudsy water, rinse really well, and pat dry with a
soft cloth. Polish metals gently with a jewelry polishing cloth.
Store most jewelry in a reclosable plastic
bag
or
cloth
with
anti-tarnish paper. More details below.
See the article on how chlorine and bromine in swimming pools and hot tubs can affect even karat gold at Hoover and Strong precious metal refinery.
More Jewelry Care and Cleaning Details
General Jewelry Care
- Protect all jewelry from scratches, sharp blows, chemicals,
extreme temperatures, and sunlight.
- After each wearing, gently wipe each piece of jewelry clean
of make up and skin oils with a 100% cotton cloth.
- Store jewelry separately so it doesn't scratch other jewelry.
- Remove jewelry when doing household or handyman tasks such a
gardening, cleaning and household repairs or other strenuous activities.
- Apply makeup and hairspray before putting on your jewelry. Makeup and hairspray contain chemicals that may affect your jewelry.
- Do not wear jewelry while in a swimming pool or hot tub or bathing. The
chlorine in the water can damage various gemstones and metals including gold.
- Do not store jewelry next to heating vent, window sill, or
in the car.
- Store jewelry away from sunlight. The sun may fade some gemstones.
- Always store bead necklaces strung on silk (such as lapis,
pearls, etc) flat because silk stretches over time.
- Store jewelry in resealable plastic or jewelry
bags with anti-tarnish paper to retard tarnish. Jewelry
with pearls or opals, as well as some other stones, will need to be stored in fabric instead
of plastic as they need to "breathe."
- Argentium® Sterling Silver jewelry must be polished with a polishing cloth reserved strictly for Argentium® to avoid contamination by minute bits of other metals (including traditional sterling) and lower the tarnish resistant qualities of the Argentium®
Do Not Place in Chemical Cleaners
(This is a partial list! If in doubt, don't put
it in any chemicals!) |
Amber
Aquamarine
Coral
Emerald
Jade
Lapis Lazuli
Malachite
Opal
Pearls
Shell
Turquoise
|
Some Stones
That Can
Change In Sunlight
(This is a partial list!)
|
Amethyst - becomes paler
Ametrine - may become lighter or change colors
Aquamarine - becomes paler
Aventurine - some lighter varieties become paler
Beryl - brown/orange varieties may fade to pale pink
Celestite - becomes paler
Chrysoprase - becomes paler
Citrine - becomes paler/changes color
Hiddenite - becomes paler
Kunzite - becomes paler
Rose Quartz - becomes paler
Smoky Quartz - becomes paler
|
For metaphysical tips about energetically clearing your stones that are in jewelry, I have an article on clearing crystals and stones.
I also have an article on cleaning and caring for costume jewelry in particular in my Q&A section.
Argentium® Sterling Silver
Argentium® Sterling Silver is highly tarnish-resistant and needs far less care than traditional sterling silver. You should be able to clean up your Argentium® Sterling Silver jewelry with a mild soap and lukewarm water, and restore its high shine with a polishing cloth reserved for only Argentium® jewelry. Goddard's Long Shine Polishing Cloth is highly recommended by leaders in the silversmithing industry at the best for Argentium®, as it seems to enhance Argentium®'s tarnish-resistant properties.
Traditional Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, and Gold
Traditional Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, and Gold can be cared for in pretty much the same way.
You can use these methods to clean and polish traditional .925 sterling
silver, .999 Fine Silver,
and 14 karat gold filled, as well as karat gold:
- Commercial silver/gold cleaners. Be sure that any stones in
the jewelry can withstand the chemicals in the cleaner. Read
the label,
and if in doubt, do not use a chemical cleaner. Some gemstones
that cannot be placed in most commercial jewelry cleaners are:
pearls, lapis lazuli, malachite, opals, coral, turquoise, and
others.
- Ammonia and water. Use a light solution of ammonia and
water on
a toothbrush or soft cloth, then rinse thoroughly with water.
Ammonia should not be used on the same types of gemstones that
should not
be used with commercial cleaners
- Jewelry polishing cloth or sunshine cloth. Use lightly to restore luster. Note: Do not press hard when polishing
14 karat golf filled so that you do not damage the gold surface.
- Additionally, tarnish can be retarded by storing your jewelry
in the resealable plastic bag included with each piece, or in
a commercial
jewelry bag with anti-tarnish papers. Pearls and opals, however,
should not be stored in plastic because they need to "breathe."
Copper and Brass
Surprisingly enough, copper and brass are also very simple to care
for. While they do
tarnish
more
quickly
than sterling silver, they can be restored to their original
shine easily. Methods for cleaning and shining copper and brass
jewelry are:
- Commercial copper/brass cleaner. Again, be sure that any stones
in the jewelry can withstand the chemicals in the cleaner or
do not use it.
- Worcestershire sauce. As unlikely as it sounds, the acid in the tomato in worcestershire sauce does a great job of cleaning copper and brass jewelry See the Copper Jewelry Cleaning page for a demo with before and after photos. This method should not be used with gemstones or pearls that cannot be cleaned with chemical cleaners, as the acid in the tomato of the worcestershire may affect more delicate stones.
- Ketchup. Again, the acid in the tomato
of the ketchup shines up copper and brass quite nicely. This method is somewhat messier than the Worcestershire sauce, though. Apply
it
with
a toothbrush or soft cloth, then rinse thoroughly. Avoid getting
ketchup on the same types of stones as should not be used with
chemical cleaners. I'm not sure about it, but I expect the
acid in the tomato might affect more delicate stones.
- Another kitchen cleaner method for
copper and brass is a combination of water, lemon or lime juice
and salt. Add
a few drops of
lemon or lime juice to a container of water, then add a
teaspoon of salt
and stir gently. Place the jewelry in the solution for
a few minutes, then remove and rinse thoroughly. If needed,
the dip
in the solution
can be repeated. Again, this method should not be used
with gemstones or pearls that cannot be cleaned with chemical
cleaners.
- As with sterling silver, copper and brass jewelry will tarnish
slower if stored in a recloseable plastic bag or jewelry case
with anti-tarnish paper.
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