Sterling Silver Jewellery with pearls and pearl jewellery
Since Freshwater pearls are organic, made from layers of calcium carbonate, they are softer and more delicate than many other beads; therefore, care should be taken not to scratch their surfaces and to keep them away from alcohols or acids.
Here is an easy to read DO and DON’T list for the care of your jewellery containing pearls:
DO store your pearls separately from other hard jewellery items to prevent scratches and damage. They can be wrapped in a soft cloth or pouch, or placed in a separate compartment of your jewellery box.
DON’T put your cosmetics, perfumes and hair sprays on after your pearl jewellery as they will dull the surface luster.
DO wear your pearls as much as possible. This allows them to breathe and the oils from your skin will maintain their luster.
DON’T put your pearls on top of a fireplace, television set or a radiator as the heat will discolour them often turning them brown overnight. For the same reason avoid steam cleaning them.
DO wipe them with a soft cloth after wearing to remove any body oils or cosmetics.
DON’T store pearls in a very dry room or in a safety deposit box. Pearls appreciate a little moisture so wearing them regularly is important. They can also often change colour when kept in the dark for too long.
DO store strung pearls flat so they won’t stretch and the hand-knotting will last longer.
DON’T play with your pearls when eating! Certain spices, such as chili powder, can damage the pearls by eating away or burning the surface of your pearls.
DO buff them occasionally with a silk cloth to renew their shine and luster.
DON’T use a liquid silver cleaner if your jewellery has pearls in it as it will remove the pearls’ luster and will permanently damage them.
Sterling Silver Jewellery with gemstones
Cleaning sterling silver will help to keep its bright shine and, when it is cleaned, it can be difficult to differentiate sterling silver from white gold. The best way to clean silver is to use a cleaning agent that has a sulfur base. This type of cleaner tends to have a pungent odor, but it will work quite well to remove accumulated tarnish and does not harm the gemstones.
Other methods include using chemically treated cloths which are effective for maintaining the shine to your silver. Simply rub your jewellery with the treated cloth once a week or so and it will keep sterling silver shining brightly. Cleaning pastes are also effective and work well when used with a soft-bristle toothbrush after which, just rinse and dry. Water does not encourage tarnishing, the hydrogen sulfide in the air does.
When storing your silver jewellery, keep it next to the anti-tarnishing paper provided and, if possible, place in a plastic bag with a silica gel bag. This is a sure fire way to prevent moisture and hydrogen sulfides from finding your silver.
Gold Jewellery
Gold doesn’t tarnish, but it can be dirtied or dulled by the oils in your skin, body lotion, makeup or other substances. There are lots of products out there that promise to clean gold, but you can do it easily with mild detergent and a soft cloth.
Mix a squeeze of mild dish detergent with warm water in a bowl. Put the gold item into the soap mixture and let sit for a few minutes. Use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub the jewellery. Remove the item from soapy water, rinse it and dry thoroughly with a soft polishing cloth.
Vermeil Jewellery
Gold Vermeil is sterling silver that has been gold-plated. Our vermeil is plated with 22K-24K gold. This is a good combination for those with allergies to normal, plated jewelry items. The difference between vermeil and gold-plated, is in the thickness of the gold and the base metal used. In vermeil, the base is 925 sterling silver and the thickness is at least 2.5 microns; whereas, brass (copper and zinc) is typically used for plating and the thickness can be between 1-3 microns. You can clean gold vermeil by washing the jewelry in warm soapy water. Use lukewarm water (not hot as it can crack some gemstones) and a couple drops of non-film leaving dish soap (not antibacterial). Use a soft toothbrush to get into tight places. Rinse and dry with a soft polishing cloth immediately to avoid mineral residue from the water.
Gold-filled Jewellery
The term “gold filled” is used to describe a piece that is made of a non-gold metal covered with a thick layer of gold. You may hear is also referred to as “rolled gold” or “gold overlay” although both have thinner layers than gold-filled jewellery. The term “gold-filled” is a misnomer as the piece is not actually “filled” with gold. A core or base metal, usually brass, is layered in thick sheets of gold which are then mechanically bonded to the brass using a heating process. Gold -filled items in general are considered superior to gold-plated and vermeil items because they have a much thicker layer of gold. This simple fact makes gold-filled much more durable because it can handle hard wear without ruining the gold finish. At Cut & Hill Jewellery Co. we only use 14k or higher gold-filled findings as the higher the karat, the longer the item will wear. With reasonable care it should not peel or flake, and can last as long as solid 14k gold jewelry. Also, it is safe for most people with sensitive skin.