Caring for your Jewelry at home.

 

• A mixture of water and ammonia
  is the simplest formula for cleaning, using the following formula:
  1 part Ammonia to 3 parts water
  Mix in container large enough to accommodate the jewelry you are cleaning.
  Place items in the container and allow to soak for a few minutes.
  Remove and brush with a soft brush
  (an old toothbrush is good)
• IMPORTANT NOTE: This is Not Recommended for Turquoise or other soft stones i.e. Opal, Pearls

• Baking Soda
  can also  be used to clean silver jewelry.  Place the items in a glass (or plastic) dish lined with Aluminum Foil.  Apply a light dusting coat of Baking Soda.  Pour enough boiling water to cover.   Use a non-metal utensil to move jewelry around so that all surfaces come in contact with the foil.  Rinse items under warm water, using a fine mesh sieve (to ensure nothing accidentally goes down the drain) and dry.

Caring for and cleaning Precious Opal Jewelry:

Being a softer stone than Agates and other faceted gems, Opal scratches easily.
Gently clean jewelry containing Opal stones, by soaking in a solution of a mild detergent, and room temperature water.  Then rinse the jewels to remove any residue and  use a clean,  soft lint-free cloth to dry.  Do Not use a toothbrush on Opals (Or Pearls). The bristles are harder than Opal and will scratch the Opal’s surface
Clean doublets and triplets with the same method, but do not soak them. Soaking can dissolve the glue holding the layers together.

Caring for and Cleaning Pearls:

Rub pearls individually with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth that has been dampened with a mixture of 2 cups warm water and a few drops of mild detergent. Do not leave Pearl jewelry in soak – it can cause the string to stretch. Air dry your pearls overnight.
Pearls (like all jewelry) should only be worn after cosmetics and hair spray are applied as
these can discolor them.
Pearl Jewelry should be worn
frequently for greater luster. The pearls absorbs the skin’s natural
oils – the more they are worn the more they shine.

Pearls are very soft and need special care. They never should be tossed on top of or next to other gems in a jewelry box. Store them in a jewelry pouch.

Some women’s skin are more acidic than others. If a pearl necklace is regularly worn, as it should be, some of the pearls will constantly be in close contact with the woman’s skin on her neck at the shoulder line. Pearl pendants do not always have such constant contact with a woman’s skin. The pearls in the necklace will gradually absorb acid from the skin and the acid will slowly eat into the spherical pearl. Over time the pearl will not only lose its luster, but will become barrel-shaped. You can slow this process by wiping the pearls with a soft cloth after wearing them.  You can find more information on how to care for your Cultured Pearls here

Caring and Cleaning Turquoise Jewelry:

Dip Turquoise jewelry in warm water and then gently scrub with a soft toothbrush. Rinse with warm water and air dry. Turquoise jewelry should never come in contact with cleaning fluids like ammonia.
Never use Silver cleaners either because they can discolor turquoise. Because Turquoise is a porous stone, it needs to be kept away from ammonia, which can stain or change the color of a stone.

Storing Sterling Silver Jewelry

Tarnishing occurs naturally when Sterling Silver is exposed to the air.  Keeping your silver jewelry in airtight bags will prevent tarnishing but make sure you don’t store it with any other metals.