Care of Handmade Jewelry
Jewelry Maintenance
You are about to purchasing a special piece of jewelry that took many hours in designing, searching for materials, building, communicating with you, and then the knowledge of the best ways to create your OOAK heirloom!
That moment of completion is a joyful and satisfying moment! All created art become your children! This is my best advice for caring for your beautiful piece!
-
Dawn soap & a soft brush will work very well. Just be gentle around delicate components!
-
Avoid direct contact with perfumes & lotion & body sprays.
-
Remove jewelry before going to bed or other bedtime fun. :)
-
Remove jewelry before showing, bathing, hot tubs, or swimming. Especially Opals & Turquoise.
-
Also, remove when participating in physical activities, especially ones that make you perspire.
-
Clean off jewelry prior to storing away. I personally prefer the yellow Sunshine Coths for ALL my jewelry needs. I explain how to polish below.
-
Store in jewelry box and/or plastic bag. All metals patina over time & oxygen is the activator for this process. Don’t be alarmed- it is normal. Even after years of not wearing. All can be polished!
-
Avoid wearing fuzzy clothing. The details with wire weaving can get caught on material. All wire ends have been inspected & secured before the hardening process but snags are a part of life. :)
-
A necklace may have come with your purchase & sometimes I provide extra chain for lengthening. Just be sure when fastening clasps they are indeed closed.
-
Don’t assume you latched the closure! This is the easiest way to lose any jewelry! The ball chains can be tricky & you want to be sure they have truly nestled in the clasp.
-
Lastly, don’t let children play with jewelry. Plus, they could choke on a small piece.
When cleaning. I take a hand towel folded in half & lay on counter. I put the Sunshine cloth down on towel & with clean hands-free from oils. (or wear gloves). I then set the piece down on the Sunshine cloth & push down slightly, while at the same time drag towards myself. Always in one direction first! Sometimes back & forth. Every piece is different. Just ask! Again, a bigger cloth is nice to have. If you hold the piece in hands- always go back & forth lightly while polishing. The cloth will become black. I use my cloth many times & it is very dark. They last a long time. The stone is the concern & at this point due to the chemicals in the ultrasonic cleaners, I can't advise! I personally use Ionic Cleaner. Opal & Turquoise should never be placed in ultrasonic cleaner or hot water. Opals could lose their flash. I've done it but the flash came back when dried out! PHEW!! I am always available for cleaning & questions.
With every piece, I make sure there are no snags, often times I will solder ends of Wire Wrapped pieces! Not a common practice with other jeweler's but it makes me confident in the stability. I tumble EVERY piece without the stone & this way the metal is strengthened & polished! For me it means--if the piece can survive the tumble-than it can survive normal wear. Then, I polish more by hand & inspect for any issues.
Every piece is custom made. Usually I have only made one unless casted. No returns on purchases. For several reason's this is the case. Sorry. But I am always available to see what can be done to make this a positive experience!
You might consider to add insurance for your purchase if price is significant. I leave the up to you!
Included is a gift box & a Non-toxic, non-abrasive Intercept® anti-tarnish tabs or bag to protect your jewelry items against tarnish for up to 12 months or longer. The tabs absorb tarnish-causing elements without emitting damaging gases or leaving deposits on the jewelry. Tabs conveniently begin to change color when it's time to replace them. No polishing before wearing! Its nice!! Paper & cloth will leave emissions of off gasing, so don't leave in any cards or tags.
Protect your jewelry from tarnish in this zip-close, see-through copper-color plastic bag from Intercept®. Safe for all metals, even when in direct contact, this anti-tarnish plastic bag prevents tarnish & corrosion of all ferrous & non-ferrous metals. The bag is non-toxic, environmentally friendly & fully recyclable—containing no charcoals, oils or volatile chemicals. These bags are made of 100% virgin low-density polyethylene (LDPE) that is specially treated to resist tarnish. The copper color of the bag is an indicator; when it darkens too black, replace the bag with a new one.
