JEWELRY CARE AND CLEANING
AS with all items we cherish…maintenance is a piece of the journey…jewelry requires special attention as well…here are some suggestions for keeping all sparkling and in good working order…
WATCHES…annual cleaning especially if worn daily…checking on wear and tear for leather and metal bands very important. If a battery driven watch is left unattended…allowing the battery to die the entire movement is at risk of being ruined by acid leaking…when retiring a watch remove the battery first.
RINGS….this category of jewelry takes the worst beating…we use our hands for everything. Check for metal wearing off on prongs holding stones and pearls…when stones begin to move or make a noise within the setting is the time to stop wearing immediately and take for repair…keeping diamonds and gem stones clean is easy and should be done frequently to keep them catching the light and looking gorgeous….take a small glass of water with a drop or two of dish detergent or (my favorite) Mr. Clean and get really hot…then drop rings into mixture and let sit for 5-10 minutes…pour into a small sieve and hold under very hot running water for final rinse…sit on absorbent surface and enjoy the view….the same routine should be done with pearl/opal rings….but ONLY use dish detergent…NOT ammonia products
EARRINGS… give a warm bath monthly to remove hair products…perfume and body oil….especially on pearls…a pearl has a time expectancy of roughly our lifetime…the nacre (outside surface)of a pearl is what creates luster…when young it reflects light but as it ages the surface gets dry and can crack open as though peeling off…the cleaner you keep pearls the longer they stay shiny and hold their color…
NECKLACES
PEARLS… a warm bath in dish detergent and water to remove body oils from pearls and silk knots…recommended approx every 6 months…helps to extend life expectancy of pearls…air dry flat on an absorbent towel. Do not wear wet…the silk will stretch and eventually break. When a bead or pearl can be moved in between the knots they should be taken for restringing. Normal wear and tear from handling and body heat causes the silk to stretch…restring every year…
COLORED STONES… follow same instructions for pearls.