| Jewelry Care |
| After wearing any piece of jewelry, you should "gently" clean it with a damp cloth before you store it. This will remove the body oil, lotion, perfume and make-up that might have come in contact with the jewelry, while you were wearing it. If part of the piece is Silver, you need to clean is to prevent tarnish. You can seal Sterling Silver Jewelry in a Ziplock bag and keep it clean, ready for the next time you want to wear it. Fine and Argentium Sterling Silver do not tarnish at all if you clean them after wearing. There is not one type of jewelry cleaner that works for all gem stones. You should also be very selective what you put in an ultrasonic cleaner. Those are great for Diamonds and other hard, non-porous gemstones, but never mix the stone jewelry in the cleaner. If you have a Diamond and any other stone in the cleaner together, the Diamond can cut the other stone and scratch the metal. When you go to your local jeweler, and he/she offers to clean your rings, you will notice that they do not just drop them inside the machine. They put them in separate compartments, so one stone ring does not damage another one. (Pearls, Opals and Turquoise should never be placed in those machines.) You should be very careful about the types chemicals you use to clean jewelry. Old tooth brushes are too firm, and can even loosen the stone in the setting, depending on the type of precious metal used to make the mounting. My jeweler told me to use a brush as soft as a baby hair brush. If you are familiar with these brushes, you know how soft the bristles are. Always put your jewelry in a bowl, when you are cleaning it. If a stone happens to be loose, it will not fall out in the sink, and "tour the drain". The best thing to use is a very soft cloth, in warm water and a few drops of mild liquid soap. If it has been a while since you have cleaned your rings, you might let them remain in the warm, soapy water for a few minutes before you begin cleaning. After you have cleaned them, rinse in cool water, place on a dry towel and then pat them dry. If you use chemicals during cleaning tasks, remove your jewelry, or wear rubber gloves. If you opt for the gloves, do not allow any of the cleaning liquid to get inside the gloves. Speaking of chemicals, when you put on perfume, or spray your hair, or use certain types of creams, those are all chemicals. If you are wearing jewelry during these procedures, you should remember to clean your jewelry before you put it away. You should always remove your jewelry before you go outside to work in your flower beds, or do any yard work. I have had friends, who forgot to remove a ring or bracelet, and lost it outside. Sometimes, when you lose a piece of jewelry outside, and you realize it is gone, you can retrace your activity and "maybe" find it. Also if you are going to participate in a sport, you need to remove jewelry. In addition to losing it during a game, you can get a finger jammed and not be able to get your ring off. Speaking from experience, "that hurts"! There are several gemstones that should never be soaked in fluid. Pearls, Opals and Turquoise are very porous and will be damaged, if left in water. If you are doing dishes, or hand washing garments, you should remove your rings and bracelets, if they contain any of these stones. You should always get you rings and other jewelry pieces, that you wear frequently, checked by your jeweler at least once a year, especially prong set rings. Stones have a way of working loose, and unless you check them, you can lose the stone. You should always check your jewelry before you wear it, to be sure that everything is secure. Clasps can become loose because of opening and closing them so often. A jeweler can "tweak" it just a little, and it will close tightly again. When you remove your jewelry, after wearing it, where do you store it? In its box? In a drawer, with other pieces of jewelry? In a jewelry box, piled on top of other pieces? Storing different kinds of jewelry together, in a jewelry box or drawer, can cause damage to the various pieces. Metals scratch other metals and gem stones can scratch other gemstones, depending on the hardness of the gem stones involved. (I have posted the Mohs Scale, in case you are not familiar with the hardness of various gemstones.) |