Prolong the life of your custom bead jewelry...
The care you provide for your jewelry will be rewarded by providing years of
pleasurable wear.
Remember to:
Remove your jewelry when:
Cleaning or using harsh chemicals.
Putting on lotion, perfume, hairspray, shaving cream and other beauty products.
Doing laundry.
Swimming.
Bathing.
Facing cold or hot extremes- especially one right after another
Wearing loosely woven or fuzzy knit fabrics to prevent snagging
To clean costume jewelry:
Clean your costume jewelry in a mild PH balanced soap diluted with water. Dry your jewelry thoroughly after exposure to water by patting gently with a soft lint free cloth- not a paper towel or cotton balls. Paper towels are too abrasive and cotton gets caught in the tiny tinges holding in gemstones which can pull them loose eventually.
Let jewelry air dry completely before storing. Check for tarnish and polish as needed.
If you choose to use a commercial jewelry cleaning product read the labels carefully. Make sure they are for costume jewelry and do not contain amonia, vinegar, acid or alcohol because they can be too harsh for delicate materials.
To clean semi-precious jewelry:
Use warm water and mild soap and rinse. Polish with a soft cloth. Dry your jewelry before storing. Both gold and and sterling silver can tarnish from it and water can leave residual water stains on your precious metals.
To store your jewelry:
Be sure jewelry is separated and stored in soft pouches. Rummaging through your jewelry box causes rubbing and scratching of glass beads, synthetics and the metal dulling them. Use a jewelry box, case, or chest for safe keeping- see Jewelry storage
Special Care for Special Stones
Turquoise and Jade- Wipe gently with a damp cloth & dry thoroughly with a damp cloth.
Avoid hot water, soaking, chemicals, steamers or ultrasonic cleansers.
Marcasite- Jeweler cement is occasionally used in setting marcasite. For cleaning
cemented stones- wipe gently with a damp cloth & dry thoroughly with
a soft cloth. Avoid hot water, soaking, chemicals, steamers or ultrasonic
cleansers.
Pearls- Pearls are porus and require special care. The best thing you can do for your pearls is wear them. The oils from your skin
prevents pearls from drying out and loosing their luster.
Wipe gently with a damp cloth & dry thoroughly with a damp cloth. Avoid hot water, soaking, chemicals, steamers or ultrasonic cleansers along with
cosmetics and hairspray. Do not soak in water.
Store in a soft cloth pouch.
special precautions should be taken when cleaning costume jewelry.
Avoid hot water, soaking, chemicals, steamers or ultrasonic cleansers.
Do not soak in water. Do not use jewelry cleaners or other chemicals.
in gemstones are subject to break or crack. Be careful not to hit them
on hard surfaces when storing or wearing your gemstone jewelry. Do not
expose them to high temperatures like saunas. Do not wear in salt water
or chlorine pools. Chemicals can discolor your beads and weaken their
protective outer layer.
Fit Tip: For large and / or bulky beads consider ordering the
bracelet a 1/2"- 1" larger than your normal size.
This allows room for the fitting ease needed
at the wrist.
Tarnish and skin discoloration
Costume jewelry is most often produced with non-precious metals such as gold or silver plate. These metals tarnish from oxidation when exposed to elements such as sulfer and oxygen.
Sterling silver tarnishes naturally and requires occasional cleaning.
Commercial polishing cremes and clothes ease the job of removing tarnish and renew the sparkle to metals.
Skin discoloration is caused by metallic abrasion from make-up on skin or clothing. Some cosmetics contain compounds harder than jewelry. The compounds can rub tiny particles against the metal causing a very fine black dust. A black smudge is visible when this dust comes into contact with absorbent surfaces like your skin or clothing.
The corrosion of metal also causes skin discoloration. Pure gold and silver do not corrode but alloys of some base metals and copper will. Corrosion forms a dark chemical compound in damp conditions like the humid conditions that occur in costal areas when salty air and perspiration mix and become corrosive.