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Jewelry Care                                                                                                                                                                                 Traditional Viking Jewelry Home
Sterling Silver:
In order to retain that beautiful shine that your Jewelry will be delivered with, here are a few easy cleaning tips: Just like the rest of you, your Jewelry gets dirty, i.e. collects dust and grime on its surface. If you like your Jewelry sparkling clean, wash it regularly with a mild dish soap and warm water. A solution of mild soap, ammonia & warm water will clean some of the more persistent grime. Don't use abrasives, even tooth brushes can scratch the surface of metal! Let the metal air dry, then use a very soft and clean cloth to polish. Sterling Silver is a somewhat soft, precious metal and should be cared for in a loving manner. Store your silver in a cool, dry place. Tissue paper or paper towels can cause scratches because of the fibers in these products. Prevent tarnish in the first place by limiting exposure to air and light when stored. Preferable is a tarnish resistant bag or wrapped in felt or a soft cloth, zip lock bags also work well. Store your jewelry pieces individually so they don't scratch each other. DO NOT apply commercial silver cleaners. They remove silver and damage your fine jewelry. Avoid exposure to household chemicals or chlorinated water. A professional Cleaning Cloth (see below) will further enhance the shine. As Sterling Silver ages, it naturally takes on a warm patina. This is usually a desired trait which will embellish the detail. If desired, we can also repolish and remove minor scratches in pieces you have purchased from us. We will re-apply a fine patina & polish to a professional shine for a small fee. Please inquire.

A thorough cleaning can be accomplished by this method: Take a glass baking dish and place a sheet of aluminum foil shiny side up into its bottom. Lay your Sterling Silver jewelry onto the aluminum foil, then sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over it. Pour boiling water into the dish. After about 10 minutes, your mixture should have stopped bubbling and your clean jewelry can be removed. Rinse jewelry in clean water, then dry it. This method is for Sterling Silver only, do not use it on jewelry containing other materials such as stones, bones, antler or the like.

Amber:   The absolute enemy of Amber is oxygen. Before it is unearthed, most amber specimens are in an anaerobic environment (without oxygen). Once they are exposed to air they begin to deteriorate. To care for your amber pieces, wash in mild soap and water and pat dry gently. You may oil your amber with a pure plant oil.

Bronze or Brass: These metals may be polished by using commercial metal polishing agents such as Brasso and the like. However, these Chemicals usually have abrasive grit in them, which can mar up your surface rather than clean it. If in doubt, try a little bit on the back of your jewelry and make sure you like the end result. Sterling Silver should  never be cleaned with these polishing agents! Bronze & Brass can tarnish easily, it is recommended to buff them often with a soft Cotton Cloth or store them as suggested above.

A note on Overlay Jewelry: Overlay Jewelry has an especially polished surface who's mirror finish really shows scratches. Never use metal polishing abrasives (such as Brasso and the like) on Overlay! Instead, wash regularly with warm water and soap and use a Rouge Cloth to finalize polish after drying.

Rouge Clothes: Two Sided Rouge Clothes to clean and polish your Jewelry can be ordered by sending $10 with a current mailing address to: Birte Nellessen, P.O. Box 322, Corvallis, Montana 59828.
  


Traditional Viking Jewelry Home