- ebagley@aslipofsilver.com
- 5088649162
- aslipofsilver.com
Clean your jewelry before it becomes badly tarnished. It is much easier to remove tarnish and soil when it is minimal, so be sure to take regular care of your jewelry. The longer you go between cleanings the harder it is to restore your metallic jewelry to its original luster.
Always remove your jewelry before using any product that contains bleach, ammonia, alcohol, citrus juice, salt, detergent, or turpentine.
Avoid wearing your jewelry while swimming in chlorinated or salt water. Prolonged soaking in water can loosen stones in their settings and damage porous stones like turquoise. Remove your jewelry before bathing.
Avoid storing your sterling silver in the open air. It is much better to store it in a jewelry box or zip lock bag to keep the air out. Protect your jewelry when traveling by wrapping your pieces in tissue to avoid scratches and breakage in your luggage.
Check for loose stones or parts and have them repaired right away so as not to lose any stones or parts.
With normal wear and tear, changes in humidity, the vibrations of travel, and bending the jewelry can cause the stones to loosen over time. If a stone rocks or wiggles in its setting you will need to tighten the bezel around the stone to prevent the loss of your precious gemstones. You can usually tighten these yourself if you use special care. The back of a spoon works well to run along the bezel to press it down on the gemstone and tighten it again. Many bezel-set stones have a layer of padding or sawdust beneath the stone to cushion it. If this padding is missing, the stone will be too low in the setting. In this case, it is advisable to consult a local jeweler to tighten the bezel. If you notice a stone is missing, look for it immediately. If you can find it, the repair is simple and takes just a few minutes. If it cannot be found it is more difficult to find a perfect match for the lost one, but it can still be done.
Hairspray, perfume, lotions, makeup, and water can all affect your jewelry. Put your jewelry on after dressing and grooming.
If you will be working or playing hard, remove your jewelry.
It’s not a good idea to sleep with your chains or earrings on. Chains can tangle or kink and earring posts can bend or break.
Caring for your silver jewelry. Contrary to popular belief, sterling silver can also turn your skin green. Skin turns green because of a chemical reaction with moisture on your skin and the alloys in the metal and is nothing to be concerned about health-wise. Sterling silver is an alloy, meaning it is a combination of metals (in this case, 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper).
While silver cannot rust, copper can, meaning sterling silver can rust as well. The copper in sterling silver also makes it susceptible to tarnishing.
Salt is known to be a main cause of tarnishing in sterling silver, so be sure to take off your sterling silver jewelry if you know you will be sweating a lot. In general, it is a good idea to keep your sterling silver jewelry away from moisture as much as possible. If your jewelry gets wet, be sure to dry it as soon as possible. Use the included polishing pad to clean off any tarnish that appears and keep your handmade sterling silver jewelry shining bright!
“You got to let your Soul shine. It’s better than sunshine. It’s better than moonshine and damn sure better than the rain.”
-Beth Hart.
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