You love your jewelry so of course you want to keep it looking its best. Here are some tips to keep it in tip top shape.
- Remove Your Jewelry Before Bathing - Remove all jewelry before showering or cleaning. Soap can cause a film to form, making it appear dull and dingy.
- Don't Wear Jewelry In Swimming Pools and Spas - Chlorinated water can react with the metals found in jewelry causing color changes and even structural damage. As a result it's a good idea to remove jewelry before entering the pool or spa.
- Remove Jewelry during manual tasks like gardening or house cleaning. - Hard knocks and chemicals can damage jewelry. Even make-up or lotions can cause some metals to tarnish, react and/or change color.
- Contact Sports and Jewelry Don't Mix - Remember to take off any jewelry before any playing sports.
Store jewelry in a closed air tight box or plastic bag to slow down tarnish.
- Use Warm Water to Clean Jewelry - Most jewelry can easily be cleaned by mixing a tbsp of baking soda in a bowl of warm soapy water and soaking 5-10 minutes. Rinse & dry with a soft cloth.
- For more stubborn tarnish make a paste with water and baking soda to gently rub away tarnish with a soft toothbrush. (Not suggested for jewelry with stones, or keum boo.)
- Careful when using cleaning fluids and tarnish remover. Read labels carefully to make sure stones and finishes will not be affected.
- Jewelry Polishing Cloths - If your jewelry has a polished finish, gently rub the piece with a polishing cloth or polishing pad. Rinse & dry. Using tissue or paper towels can actually cause scratches because of fibers in these products. (Not suggested for jewelry with stones, patinas, or keum boo)
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Keum-Boo: For light cleaning, soak pieces in diluted dish detergent for several minutes, rub gently with fingertips or a very soft cloth, rinse well, and dry with a clean, soft cloth. Take to a professional jeweler for a deeper clean. Never use abbrasives, polishing pads or ultrasonics for items with keum boo.
- Gemstones - Most gemstones can be cleaned by running under a little warm soapy water and drying with a soft cloth. Every stone is different, so to be on the safe side avoid abrasives, polishing compounds, ultrasonics and chemical dips. Take to a professional jeweler to clean if you are unsure.
- Jewelry with Dark Patina Finish - A dark patina (oxidation) on silver is created by the reaction of silver and sulfur. This reaction occurs on the surface of the silver. Avoid using abrasives or polishing cloths as this may remove the finish. Naturally when worn the dark finish will wear and change over time.