Jewelry Care
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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.