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How to Care For and
Clean Your Jewelry |
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Tips on how to care for and clean
your handcrafted jewelry the easy and inexpensive way.
All the methods below apply to wirework and other types of sterling
silver, fine silver, gold filled and gold jewelry, with the exception of the
last section which applies only to copper and brass jewelry.
Please Note: Do not wear jewelry while washing
dishes, swimming, showering or bathing. Chlorine, bleach and other
chemicals in soaps and detergents may damage soft stones, pearls and cause
metals to discolor. |
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 Cleaning a
wirework cameo or
gemstone pendant
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The best way to keep your cameo clean and the
wirework polished is
some toothpaste and an old toothbrush. Use a gentle toothpaste without
baking soda. Be careful using the toothbrush on the wirework so it doesn't
get caught in the wires, just brush gently. Rinse it off with water and
gently pat dry with a towel. Let it air dry completely before placing in the
plastic bag.
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You can use this method on
other gemstones as well, but not with pearls. An
ionic jewelry cleaner (not ultrasonic) can be used on just about anything including
pearls, but they are expensive and for cameos the toothpaste method is the
best for cleaning the surface of the cameo.
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Storing your cameo or pendant in a small zip lock plastic
bag when it's not being worn will keep it from tarnishing.
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Caring for Wirework Gemstone or Dichroic Glass Jewelry
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Try not
to drop. Stones, shells and glass are breakable if dropped on a hard
surface such as concrete.
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Keep jewelry in a zip lock plastic bag. Exposure
to air and moisture causes tarnishing.
It should only need cleaning once a year at most, maybe
every two or three years. Not because of tarnish but the wire may become
slightly dull and not be it's shiniest.
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Resist the temptation to
fiddle with the wirework. If you feel that the gemstone is loose or it
needs adjusting have some one who does wirework look at the piece.
If it is a Leeleeko Jewelry piece contact us.
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Dichroic glass can be cleaned with glass cleaner such as Windex or rubbing
alcohol use a cotton swab to apply.
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 Caring
for Pearl Jewelry
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Pearls are fragile and
require more care than other types of jewelry.
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We clean our pearl
jewelry with an ionic jewelry cleaner. If you do not have one, have your
pearls cleaned by a professional.
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Don't use toothpaste or
an ultrasonic cleaner to clean pearls.
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Don't wear body lotion
if you are wearing a pearl necklace and take care not to spray hairspray
or perfume on pearls.
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Don't use anti-tarnish
strips when storing pearls. These are fine for most jewelry, however they
may discolor pearls, I am not positive about this but be cautious, pearls
are finicky.
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 Caring
for Gemstone, Shell, Glass, Polymer Clay Beaded Jewelry
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We use an ionic cleaner.
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If there are silver beads or
the clasp has become dull or tarnished you can use an old toothbrush and
toothpaste to clean them.
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Keeping in a closed box
or zip lock bag will keep silver or gold beads and clasp polished longer.
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 Caring for Wire Chokers
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Be careful not to kink a
wire choker by bending or stretching.
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To clean use a silver
polishing cloth.
Gently pull down the length of the wire taking care not to straighten the
wire out.
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Keep choker in a closed box
or zip lock bag to keep choker polished longer.
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 Caring
for Copper and Brass Jewelry
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An easy way to remove tarnish which does not
damage stones is to clean with white vinegar. Take an old toothbrush and
dip in vinegar and lightly brush surface of copper.
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Keeping in a zip lock bag or box when not worn
helps keep tarnish down. Make sure item is completely dry before sealing
in bag.
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