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Jewelry Care

General: Store jewelry separately so it doesn't scratch other jewelry. When doing household tasks such as gardening and cleaning, you would want to remove your rings and bracelets. Put your jewelry on after washing and applying any makeup/hair spray. Never wear jewelry while swimming in a swimming pool. The chlorine can cause damage to various gemstones and gold. Gemstones may become loose in their settings (and possibly fall out). Do not store your jewelry in your car or near heated areas. Sun can fade gemstones so store them away from the sunlight. Always store bead necklaces strung with silk flat as silk stretches over time. Hardness is based on a gem-trade standard called the Mohs scale. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the stone is. The highest Mohs scale rating is 10 (diamonds). Anything with a Mohs scale rating of less than 7 will easily scratch (such as coral, opal, pearl, and turquoise). Gold, silver, and platinum are only Mohs 2-1/2 to 4. Store fine jewelry carefully. Common stones that are damaged in sunlight (there may be more): Cleaning Techniques: Do not use ultrasonic cleaners, as they will cause permanent damage to the beads. When using an ultrasonic cleaner, be sure to follow the directions! Ultrasonic cleaners are only safe for very hard stones such as diamonds, rubies, spinels, Alexandrite, sapphires and Zircon. Body oils, lotions and perfumes will begin to slightly alter the color of some stones. Stones can be wiped with a soft cloth before storage. Wash in soapy water occasionally. Remember to dry thoroughly. require special care: after each wearing, gently wipe them with a soft cloth to remove body oils, perfume, etc. as these can spot the beads. Store them separately from other jewelry in a protective pouch or box enclosure to protect them from scratches. Don't get them wet. Pearls are usually strung on silk cord that is knotted between each bead. As the silk is organic, it will break down after 10 to 25 years and so would have to be restrung. Do not store in plastic bags. For other stones, rinse in a sink or basin using a solution of soapy warm water. If needed, scrub gently with a soft brush (a soft toothbrush will do), rinse with warm water and lay them out to dry on a towel. However, organic materials and soft stones such as opals, amber, pearls, and peridot can be damaged by the use of soaps. Any stone can be safely wiped with an untreated (no chemicals, soaps or abrasives) soft cloth. (those tiny sterling silver tube beads that are usually found in multiple strand necklaces) can be cleaned using baking powder. Do not wet the powder. Put some on a soft dry cloth, and then run the strands through the cloth rubbing gently. Shake the powder off when done. Wash gold fill pieces in soapy water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. Preventing Tarnish Sterling and fine silver jewelry will tarnish if left unworn and exposed to the air for significant amounts of time. Wearing your silver jewelry often will actually decrease its propensity for tarnishing. When you're not wearing your jewelry, the best way to protect it from tarnish is to wrap it in special anti-tarnish paper, and tuck it away safely in your jewelry box, away from sun and moisture. If you store silver in sealed plastic bags, it will be less prone to tarnish. However, pearls should not be stored in plastic bags. Removing Tarnish If your silver does tarnish, your best choice for polishing and cleaning will depend on the components in your particular piece of jewelry. If your jewelry includes gemstones or glass beads, it may be best to use a gentle, specialized jewelry cleaning solution. Many of these come with little dunk-tanks, which allow you to soak your jewelry for a period of time. However, before using any cleaner, make sure that all of the components in your jewelry piece can withstand such cleaning. For example, softer, more porous gemstones (such as some types of turquoise) and other natural materials (such as coral) may be damaged by submersion or application of chemicals. Before using a cleaner, ask your jewelry cleaner supplier specifically whether their products may harm these materials. Sterling silver will polish up by rubbing or buffing it with a soft cotton cloth.