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CARE AND CLEANING OF YOUR JEWELLERY
Please clean your jewellery often. You may use
a non-detergent soap, including dishwashing soap. Use a toothbrush
(no toothpaste, though!) and a soft cloth. Be sure to clean your
jewellery if it has been exposed to oils, salt, chlorine, or
abrasive materials such as sand, soil, or talcum powder. For silver
jewellery, clean off foods like egg and salad dressing.
Make certain that you clean inside rings where dirt can be trapped.
Follow the manufacturer's directions when using commercial jewellery
and silver cleaning products.
Polishing your jewellery
Cleaning and polishing are two different
processes. Cleaning removes dirt and grime. Polishing is a process
whereby scratches are removed from the metal. At home, you can use a
polishing cloth or cream made specifically for this purpose. They
are available from various manufacturers and it will state clearly
on the product that it will polish. These cloths and creams contain
small particles that will remove light scratches when rubbed on the
metal. Be sure to rinse your jewellery well to remove all of these
particles before you wear it again.
NOTE: I will clean and polish free of charge any jewellery that I
have made for you. Arrange to see me in my studio and I will use the
same processes that I used in the manufacturing of your jewellery in
order to make it look new again.
Silver jewellery
Silver jewellery will get dirty and it may
tarnish. Dirt and grime is best removed by cleaning with dishwashing
soap and water and then drying with a soft cloth. Pay particular
attention to nooks and crannies.
Silver Tarnish
Silver will react with sulphur-containing
substances and it will discolour. The discoloration will begin as a
pale yellow and may darken to blue-black. The sulphur can come from
a variety of sources: foods such as eggs, salad dressing, onions and
other vegetables; wood; wool; rubber bands; latex gloves; hair
sprays and cosmetics; medications and medicated creams; salt and
chlorine (including that found in bleach, chlorinated swimming
pools, and hot tubs). As well, there is sulphur in the air pollution
around us, and sometimes well water will contain sulphur. Even the
oils in skin can cause silver to tarnish. Tarnishing is more evident
in high humidity and is accelerated by heat. Silver jewellery in
storage can tarnish if it is stored when dirty or near anything that
has sulphur in it, including some plastics, rubber, and the glues in
packaging materials.
All silver can tarnish, and tarnish is not an indication of poor
quality. In fact, silver jewellery is sometimes intentionally
darkened by tarnishing in order to better show design details.
Removing tarnish
Frequent cleaning with a phosphate-free
detergent will help to avoid tarnish. Light tarnish can often be
removed with a gentle cloth and dishwashing soap. If your silver
becomes darkened with tarnish, there are several tarnish-removing
solutions and cloths available. Follow the instructions on the
product as provided by the manufacturer.
I recommend any of the following: Goddard's Silver Polish, Cream,
and Polishing Cloth; 3M's Tarn-Shield and Silver Polish; Twinkle and
Hagarty Polish and Cloths.
I do not recommend any liquid that requires you to dip your
jewellery into it. These liquids can be harsh and can damage your
silver.
Do not use toothpaste. Toothpaste can dull the polish on your
jewellery.
Do not use bleach or any product with bleach in it.
There is information on the internet that gives instructions on how
to clean silver using salt, baking soda, washing soda, and aluminium
foil sheets. While these methods will work, there is a risk of
damage to your jewellery. I would discourage you from using these
treatments.
Please feel free to
contact me for any further
information or with any questions.
Skin stains
Silver, and sometimes even gold, can leave a
dark stain on your finger or neck. There are several causes of this,
only two of which happen particularly frequently.
The first possibility is tarnish. If the silver is tarnishing, this
tarnish can be left on your skin. You can clean the tarnish off and
avoid the cause of the tarnish in the future.
The second possibility is actually quite common, yet it is the
reason of which people are least aware. Essentially, it is that very
small amounts of the metal in both silver and gold jewellery can
wear off, and these are left on the wearer's skin as a dark mark.
This happens due to the many mild abrasives with which we come into
contact on a daily basis. Some of these abrasives can become trapped
under a ring or in the links of a chain, or they can become stuck to
jewellery when trapped in oils and creams. The most common abrasives
that cause this to happen are talcum powder, baby powder, soaps,
toothpaste, and cosmetics. Other sources of abrasive material
include cleaning powders, fine sand, dust and dirt, and garden soil.
Sometimes, if jewellery has been cleaned with a jewellery cleaning
paste and cloth and then inadequately rinsed, some of the cleaner
will be left behind as a darkness on the skin.
Stains caused for any of these reasons will stop when the jewellery
is cleaned, as long as no further abrasive material gets on it.
Mercury
If mercury comes into contact with gold or
silver, it will be absorbed into the metal. The metal will discolour
and will stain the skin. This problem requires a professional
solution.
Contact me, or see another qualified goldsmith.
Salt and chlorine
Salt and chlorine will attack gold and silver.
They can corrode the metals and discolour them. Light damage can be
polished away. Severe damage can weaken the metal, causing it to
crack. This problem requires a professional solution. Contact me, or
see another qualified goldsmith.
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