Caring for Your Silver Bracelet

A silver bracelet is an elegant piece of jewelry that can be worn with almost anything at any occasion. However, silver is exposed to elements everyday that cause it to tarnish or to oxidize. The catalysts for tarnish include many elements such as oxygen, sulfur, or even the salt residue from your hands. There is some proper care and cleaning that one must know to keep silver looking its best. Here are some helpful tips to keep your silver bracelet looking beautiful.


Preventing Tarnish

There are certain chemicals and products that can cause your silver bracelet to tarnish that should be avoided. Do not apply any sort of sun tan oil, hair spray, hair color, perfume, rubber, and body lotions while wearing your silver jewelry. These all contain chemicals that can potentially cause your jewelry to tarnish. Always remove any silver jewelry when working with chemicals such as bleach, ammonia, alcohol, finger nail polish removers with acetone, and turpentine. Also the acids in tape, cardboard, and newspaper can be harmful to your silver bracelet. Avoid contact with wool and felt (these materials contain sulfur that can cause the silver to oxidize) and do not shower with your silver bracelet on. Keep away from these things to also avoid potential tarnish of your sliver bracelet.


Cleaning

You should clean your silver bracelet regularly to remove tarnish. When cleaning, do not use any materials that are too abrasive and that will scratch the material. Never use a toothbrush, no matter how soft the bristles are suppose to be. Instead, clean your silver bracelet with a soft lint-free cotton cloth. Also, wear plastic gloves instead of rubber gloves since the rubber can possibly cause the silver to tarnish.

With your soft cloth and plastic gloves you are ready to begin cleaning your silver bracelet. To begin, remove any dust or debris that could possibly scratch the item. Next, rinse the bracelet with warm water and mild soap (avoid scented soaps) and pat dry. The bracelet is now ready to be polished. Many polishes are available in different forms (i.e. pastes, liquids, and foams). My recommendation would be to use a polish that gives a wax-like finish; this creates a barrier for future tarnish. No matter what you use, be sure to remove all the polish from your jewelry. To finish, rinse in warm water (do not soak) and pat dry.


General Care and Storage

When you are not wearing your silver bracelet, you should always store it in a place that is airtight to avoid oxidization. Do not store jewelry in cardboard boxes or tissue paper. The chemicals from these materials will cause more harm than good. The best way to store your silver bracelet is by placing it in an airtight cabinet or drawer along with anti-tarnishing strips. There are also special silver cloths that can be purchased to wrap your jewelry in for storage. It is best to keep them jewelry pieces separate in order to avoid possible scratching. Remember, one of the best ways to keep you silver bracelet looking good is to wear it! Your body oils act as a shield for many of the catalysts for tarnish.

If you keep good care of your silver bracelet in its cleaning, storage and general care of it, you will be able to wear it for years to come. Just remember to keep it away from harmful chemicals, keep up with cleaning it, and to store it properly. It is important to take care of your jewelry so that it may remain beautiful every time you wear it.

Taking Care of Your Diamond

Caring for a diamond takes more than occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever, but they can be damaged if you are not careful. By learning how to properly care for your diamond, you will ensure that your diamond is indeed forever.

First, you should take your diamond jewelry to a jeweler once a year. Have him check the mountings and prongs that hold your diamond in place. Have him make any needed repairs. This will prevent your diamond from falling out of its setting and becoming lost.

Diamond jewelry that is not being worn, or diamonds that are loose should be stored in a fabric lined jewel case, or in a jewelry box where it can be kept separate from other jewelry. Each piece should have its own compartment. This will keep diamonds from becoming scratched, and it will also keep your diamond from scratching other jewelry as well.

Remove your diamond jewelry when doing physical work. Diamonds can be chipped and scratched easily. Also avoid allowing your diamond to come into contact with bleach or other household cleansers – this can damage or change the color of the settings and mountings, and it may even irreversibly change the color of the diamond!

What Are Dirty Diamonds?

A dirty diamond is one of two things: a rough diamond, or a diamond that hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Rough diamonds are uncut and unpolished – hence, they are dirty. But that type of dirty diamond will soon be cut and polished and sitting in a beautiful jewel box in a display case. Then someone will purchase it, and before long, it will become a dirty diamond once again.

Diamonds become dirty. When you wash your hands with a diamond ring on, soap scum clings to it. When you put on hand lotion, it gets grease on it. Shower with your diamond earrings or necklace, and again, you get soap scum. In one short day, your brand new diamond could be dirty!

Purchase an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner the same day that you purchase your diamond jewelry, and use it every single day, without fail. The clarity of the diamond changes when the diamond is dirty – it loses its sparkle. By taking one minute each day to clean your diamond jewelry, you can avoid this, and your diamonds will never be dirty!

The companion of all your jewelry collection - The jewelry box

A jewelry box is the perfect companion to all your beautiful jewelry pieces. You can use it not only for keeping your ornaments but also for storing those precious trinkets and items which you care for very deeply.

There are some things which cannot be evaluated in terms of money, these are small fragile things which in some way have touched your life and are of immense significance. A jewelry box is a safe haven for all those little things. A place where you can keep those small treasures which cannot be bought with money.

A good jewelry box is most often a beautiful handcrafted piece. It is available in various finishes and textures. Starting from warm mahogany wood, rose wood, to matt silver, there is a jewelry box in almost every conceivable material and color. Some of these materials used for the creation of your jewelry box include wood, glass, metal, and porcelain. The one that most are accustomed to is the wooden flip top lids with the musical song that lightly plays in the background. However, there have been changes and improvements in the making of a jewelry box, and there are now very beautifully made wooden jewelry boxes made from dark cherry wood, and there is now also style of jewelry box that is being made from carved and polished marble.

You can choose from a very wide range and pick one which suits your taste and pocket at the same time. The jewelry box has a soft lining of velvet inside, such that the precious things you store in it are not damaged in any way. Some are antique pieces, which have been crafted by master craftsmen and are collector's items. Others are made by established firms who specialize only in making these. Still others can be found at local stores made by individual craftsmen or by bulk manufacturers.

If you are to purchase a jewelry box for yourself, or as a gift for some body else, it is important to know what kind you want and what kind is out there on the market, and which one suits you the best to fulfill your needs.

A jewelry box is a wonderful possession to have and to hold your valuable items. It is a wonderful way to hold your jewelry and each box has the potential to be your own, personal piece in which not only can you store valuable items but also the memories associated with it. It is not just a place to house your treasured valuables; it is also a beautiful piece which can be passed on from one generation to another as a precious heirloom.

A jewelry box is available in various price ranges starting from those that are commonly available in stores to unique pieces which can be bought only in renowned auction houses. Whatever your choice, the jewelry box is a beautiful object to have and to give as a gift.

It is one of those unique pieces which bring to mind an old world charm. There is an intriguing sense of timelessness and a very rich heritage associated with a jewelry box. In a way it is the caretaker of our individual legacy. A place cherished and suffused with the warm glow of memories.

Cleaning your diamond

Through our everyday busy schedules, our diamonds will be exposed to the elements and get smudged or soiled. Even when we are not wearing them, they’re exposed to dust. Lotions, soaps, our natural skin oils, can cause film and grime on diamonds and inhibit their magnificence look and shine.

So, how to keep that shine? Diamonds require cleaning so that maximum amounts of light can refract their fiery brilliance. Don’t worry, all it takes is a few minutes and a little care to keep that diamond as lovely as the day you laid eyes on it.

You can use a small soft brush such as an eyebrow or lip stick brush, soap and water to clean your jewelry. Simply make a bowl of warm sudsy water with a mild detergent and place your pieces in the mixture. Then brush the diamonds with the soft bristles of the brush while they are in the suds. You will need to make certain that you rinse them clear of the suds after cleaning them. You can use a small kitchen strainer such as a tea strainer to contain them while rinsing under warm water. Use a lint free cloth, or a jewelry polish cloth to pat them dry.

If your diamonds are in need of a stronger cleansing, you may want to soak them for 30 minutes in a solution of half and half water and ammonia. After 30 minutes, remove them and gently brush the mountings with a small brush. Then replace the pieces to the solution and swish them around in the mixture before removing them to rinse and pat dry.

If you find your self too busy to be mixing soaps and ammonias, many department stores sell liquid jewelry cleaners. Most sells kits, with everything you need in it. You need to read the labels to determine the one that is right for your diamonds and other jewelry. Read the complete directions and follow all the precautions.

And if you find yourself more the “high-tech type”, even in your diamond cleaning routine, there are multiple ultrasonic cleansers on the market. These machines use high-frequency to create a cleaning motion. All machines are not the same, so please read the instructions before using.

Only you can choose the cleaning method right for you. But, it is essential to keep your jewelry clean to keep it brilliant and sparkling. Between cleaning, try not to touch your clean diamonds with your fingers or handle your jewelry by its edges. This will help maintain its shine and brilliance for longer periods.

Enhancing the glitter of your jewelry

Your jewelry is an important investment, and it retains its appearance and value longer if it is properly cared for. Here are some tips to ensure the long life of your gems.

How to Clean Gold Jewelry


Gold is tarnish-resistant, although it can get smudged and grimy. Lotions, powders, soaps, even natural skin oils can cover your jewelry and cut down on its brilliance. Jewelry cleaning removes this residue and restores the original luster of your jewelry.

Even though many commercial products are available to clean gold jewelry, a basic solution of detergent and water goes a long way to restore the radiance of gold, and a soft brush helps to gently clean intricate filigree designs and stones. Every now and again it can be helpful to soak the gold jewelry in a mixture of 1 portion ammonia and 6 parts water for about a minute. Make sure to dry and polish your gold jewelry with a soft cloth or chamois afterwards.

Professional jewelry polishing cloths are an efficacious and inexpensive way of keeping your gold collection glittering and radiant. These treated cotton cloths help to dislodge tarnish and to buff jewelry to a brilliant shine.

Never wear jewelry in the swimming pool or while doing chores. Though gold is said to be non-reactive, the fact is that contact with chemicals such as chlorine in pools or household cleaners will discolor or even damage your gold jewelry mountings.

When you are not wearing your jewelry, proper storage is essential. Be careful that pieces don't tumble together in a crowded jewel box if you want to avoid scratching and loss of radiance. Ideally, store your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewel case, or even a compartmentalized box so that every piece of jewelry resides in an individual soft cloth pouch. In damp climates, storing jewelry in small resealable plastic bags can extend intervals between cleaning, especially for silver.

It's important to check the stone settings of your jewelry sometimes for any damage to the bezels or prongs. Immersing the jewelry in rubbing alcohol for a couple seconds will restore the gorgeous sparkle to cloudy stones. It's critical to dry the jewelry thoroughly after cleaning prior to wearing or even storing. Pave set (glued in stones) jewelry should never be soaked in water while cleaning gold jewelry, as these glues, especially those used in older jewelry, are often not waterproof.

Special Gems

Diamonds, sapphires and rubies are relatively hard, though the later two can still sustain scratches. However, pearls, emeralds and opals are softer and need a gentler touch. Emeralds and opals contain water in their matrix and may crack if they are allowed to dry out. Regular application of cod liver oil from the drugstore every few months is recommended by antique jewelry dealers. Pearls should be worn frequently to expose them to skin oils. If they dry out, their luster will diminish, so don't clean them with alcohol or detergent. Avoid exposing pearls to vinegar and other acids, as they will dissolve. To clean pearls, simply wipe them with a soft damp cloth.

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaners

Do not use them on pearls and opals -- they will be damaged.

Silver Cleaner

Line a broad flat dish with tinfoil, then place your silver jewelry in the dish spaced out so they pieces do not touch. Mix together 4 cups of hot water with 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Pour this over the silver and leave for a few minutes until tarnish is dissolved, then rinse and polish with a soft cloth.

Make sure you remove the silver as soon as it is clean, and don't let it soak for hours as the electrolytic reaction will continue.

Choosing and caring for your precious jewelry

People have enjoyed jewelry throughout history. It has been given as gifts and as a symbol of relationships. It is not only a beautiful accessory, it helps identify a person. Jewelry can be a very expensive investment so making a wise decision on your jewelry purchase is important to make sure the jewelry is of a good quality and (most importantly) that the recipient is happy.

How to select diamonds

When you're selecting diamonds there are four things that diamonds are measured on. These are called the 4 C's of diamonds:

Cut
This refers to the shape of the diamond, which will determine how much it sparkles when the light hits it.

Carat
This is how big the diamond is.

Clarity
This measures how clear the diamond is. That is, if it has flaws (called inclusions) or not.

Color
This is the measurement of how white or yellow a diamond is.


Caring for your jewelry

Taking care of your jewelry is just as important as the decisions you made when you went to purchase it. For example, be sure to keep it clean as dirt will gouge the jewelry. Clean it very carefully with a soft cloth, or get it professionally cleaned at a jewelry store. Having clean jewelry is very important for its longevity but also, since jewelry is often worn on some of the most sensitive parts of the body, dirty jewelry can cause irritation.


Keeping your jewelry safe

Store your jewelry in a safe place. For example, you may want to buy a safe, or utilize a hidden safe which looks like a household product (like a soda can or a jar of cleaner) but has a secret compartment which thieves might not be likely to look in. Or, if you are jewelry is highly valued, you may want to even keep it in a security box at a bank.

Jewelry is an important investment in style and in your relationship! Buying jewelry wisely and keeping it clean and well maintained will help it hold its beauty and value for your lifetime and allow it to be a legacy to your children.

Keeping your jewelry in pristine condition

Sterling Silver & 14kt Gold:
Both will tend to tarnish over time.
-Store all precious metal jewelry in a zip lock bag to protect it. This does not stop the discoloration, but will drastically slow the process.
-Use a polishing cloth as needed for cleaning your jewelry.

Jewelry with semi-precious stones and crystals:
-Store all jewelry with semi-precious stones and crystals in a zip lock bag to protect it.
-Check the instructions on your jewelry cleaning solution prior to placing any items with stones in it to be cleaned. Some stones, such as turquoise, and freshwater pearls cannot be placed in most jewelry cleaning solutions.
-Do not wear your jewelry when you are showering or washing dishes.
-Use caution when wearing lotions and perfumes, for they will discolor gems such as turquoise.

Pearls: Special care should be taken with pearls. They are much more fragile than most gemstones.
-Use caution when using hairspray and perfumes. Let dry completely before donning your pearls.