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Jewelry Care... |
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I take great pride in my work and set high standards in the craftsmanship of my one-of-a-kind hand-made jewelry; its longevity will depend on the care you give it and how it's stored. Proper storage and periodic cleaning will keep your jewelry in the best condition. Below are some helpful hints on how to preserve your contemporary heirloom pieces from Bejeweled by Gina. ======================================================= • DO wear sterling silver and gold vermeil jewelry often! Believe it or not, this helps keep your jewelry looking new! An organic material, pearls need a little moisture to prevent cracking, so DO wear your pearls at least once a month to prevent them from drying out. • DO NOT put on your jewelry in the morning UNTIL after you have dressed and used hair spray or perfume. These chemicals can leave a residue on your jewelry that can harm or dull silver, gold and gemstones. Always take your jewelry off at night before dressing to reduce any chances of snagging your clothing. I also highly recommend that you put on and take off each piece of jewelry slowly and carefully - some elements may be fragile and could break if pulled with intense force. • DO remove your jewelry before doing household chores, especially when washing dishes! Remember, some household cleaners contain chlorine bleach; these will cause discoloration of gemstone jewelry. • DO NOT wear your jewelry to bed, swimming, in the shower or washing dishes. Avoid wearing your jewelry around chlorinated pools, salt water, mineral springs, and suntan lotion. Avoid direct contact with perfumes, hairsprays, and deodorants. Jewelry should be worn after application of cosmetics. STORING YOUR JEWELRY When you're not wearing your jewelry, store it in a cool, dry place. Tarnish is accelerated by moisture sulphur in the air. The closed container – dresser drawer(s), a jewelry box or chest – will help control both of those factors. • DO keep your jewelry separated to avoid scratching your precious pieces. • DO NOT overcrowd your jewelry into one drawer, jewelry box or storage unit. This creates a greater chance for your jewelry to get tangled or scratched. • DO store each item should be stored separately in individual plastic or velvet bags or wrapped in acid free tissue paper (for sterling silver) and/or a zip lock plastic bag. • DO NOT store your jewelry in a damp environment or in direct sunlight. Special Notes: • Long term storage of sterling silver pieces should be in air-tight plastic with anti-tarnish strips (optional), wrapped in acid free paper (optional) or include a small piece of white chalk (optional). • Take special care when storing vermeil, pearls or other soft stones (opals, turquoise, etc.) to keep it from being scratched by other pieces of jewelry. KEEPING YOUR JEWELRY CLEAN To maintain the original condition of your silver jewelry, polish your pieces regularly using a non-abrasive cleaning cloth made for such a purpose. It's much easier to clean light tarnish than heavy tarnish! • DO clean after each wearing -- Each time you remove your jewelry, simply wipe each piece gently with a moist soft cloth until clean and store it away. • DO NOT use an ultrasonic cleaner, ammonia or any chemical solution to clean opaque gemstones, such as turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis lazuli and opals. They are a porous stone and may absorb chemicals, which build up inside the stone and cause discoloration. Simply wipe them gently with a moist cloth until clean, and dry with a soft lint-free cloth. • DO use a Sterling Silver Polishing Cloth – All sterling silver, copper and brass jewelry will tarnish with time, as soon as Sterling Silver makes contact with air, tarnishing will begin. Please note, your Sterling Silver jewelry will not discolor immediately, usually pieces that are cared for will not tarnish for a year or so, if keep properly cleaned and stored. Note: Tarnish can easily be taken off your jewelry with a Sterling Silver Polishing Cloth. The center of these cloths can be used to clean, the outside of the cloth can be used to buff up the silver and remove any tarnish residue. Mild soap and water will also help keep your silver looking good, although will not replace the tarnish removing properties of a silver cloth. Remember DO NOT dry sterling silver with paper towels or tissues, always use a soft cloth. • BEWARE: Sterling dips, harsh detergents, and commercial jewelry cleaning products, are very abrasive can damage gemstones and WILL remove antique patinas on silver, brass and copper, and WILL damage the finish of Vermeil. I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING ANY OF THESE PRODUCTS! SPECIAL NOTES: • VERMEIL, (pronounced vehr-MAY), is .925 sterling silver electroplated 22k or 24k yellow gold. While it resists the oxidation of sterling, DO brighten with a jewelry polishing cloth. • 14K GOLD-FILLED jewelry items have a solid layer of 14K gold bonded over a core base metal. The outer layer of gold filled items have a thick layer of solid 14K gold and will last as long as solid gold jewelry with normal wear and care. Care for your gold-filled jewelry is fairly simple. Gold-filled jewelry will not tarnish like sterling silver. DO lightly clean with a soft toothbrush, mild liquid dish soap and water -- brush gently, rinse the jewelry thoroughly with water afterwards and let air dry or pat dry with a soft cloth. • VINTAGE BRASS AND COPPER WILL tarnish over time. If you like the patina (aging of the metal) do nothing but keep them clean with a soft cloth. Removing the patina WILL change the look of the items. Like sterling silver, to slow the patina process store the pieces in a zip-lock plastic bag. • FRESHWATER PEARLS are soft and delicate. They have Mohs 2.5-4.5 (Mohs is the classic 1-10 hardness scale, for example, diamond is 10, and talc is 1). Since pearls are relatively soft, they can be easily scratched. • Proper care can preserve and extend the life of pearls. Extreme dryness is damaging. Protect pearls from chemicals such as vinegar, alcohol, ammonia, hair spray, bleach, perfume, chlorine, and cosmetics. NEVER IMMERSE pearls in water! Close prolonged contact with the skin can dull the luster of pearls. The occasional cleaning with a soft cloth dampened in lukewarm, Ivory soap water - no heavy chemicals, please - will bring back their shine. • DO NOT use a silver polishing cloth on pearl jewelry. • DO keep your pearl jewelry separate from other jewelry pieces, so other pieces don't scratch the pearls. Store them softly, wear them softly, clean them softly. • SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMSTONES are often heat-treated or dyed to enhance their natural beauty. Direct sunlight will diminish their beauty, so DO store your pieces away from the sun. Avoid wearing your pieces when using products with a strong or reactive chemical base (perfume, hairspray, etc.), and DO NOT go swimming in chlorinated water while wearing your jewelry. If you have any doubts or questions about cleaning your jewelry, please don't hesitate to contact me Storeowner@bejeweledbygina.com. If you chose not to follow any of my helpful hints, you do so at your own risk, Bejeweled by Gina will not be responsible for any cleaning or storage mishaps! I hope you enjoy being Bejeweled by Gina! Tell A Friend!
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