Jewellery Care
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Silver & Resin Jewellery Care
Despite its glasslike appearance, Mary Lynn's resin jewellery is lightweight and resilient and is made to be worn. Follow these tips to keep your jewellery like new.
Silver & Resin Jewellery Care
Despite its glasslike appearance, Mary Lynn's resin jewellery is lightweight and resilient and is made to be worn. Follow these tips to keep your jewellery like new.
- Silver tarnishes as a result of being in contact with oxygen. To keep your silver shiny and bright and to maintain a glossy surface on your resin, store your jewellery in a airtight bag, keeping individual pieces separate from each other to avoid abrasion. To store earrings in the same bag, place the first in the bag, fold the bag in half and place the second earring in it before sealing it.
- Eventually, you may notice some tarnish on your silver. The simplest way to remove this is to rub the metal with a silver polishing cloth. This method works well on high polished, bright silver, but you may not be able to reach every part of textured surfaces. For these cases, use the method at the bottom of the page.
- If a portion of your jewellery piece has a colored or darkened patina over the surface, polishing should be avoided on that area as it will remove the surface treatment. If the patina is only recessed within a texture on a polished surface, a polishing cloth can be used as the recessed surfaces will not come in contact with the cloth.
- Do not use any chemicals or metal polishing products as they may damage the resin and could cause your silver to tarnish more readily.
In certain cases, it may be impossible to clean jewellery with just a polishing cloth - heavily textured surfaces, chains, or twists and curves in the piece can prevent a cloth from reaching every surface. For these pieces, an easy-to-make solution in the presence of aluminum and heat removes tarnish. Within moments, the tarnish binds with the aluminum, leaving the metal bright and shiny again!
NOTE: Use extreme caution if the jewellery pieces you want to clean feature resin, delicate gemstones such as opals or pearls, and intentional patinas. In these cases, the water should neither be too hot to touch nor left to sit longer than 2 to 5 minutes! If you are unsure if this method is safe for your piece, please contact me.
- Choose a cleaning vessel.
It should be large enough to accommodate the piece you want to clean, such as a bowl, pot or basin. - Line the vessel with aluminum foil.
It doesn't have to completely cover the surface of the vessel - just ensure that the tarnished pieces will be able to come in contact with the foil. Add equal parts salt, baking soda and liquid dish soap.
There's no exact measurement for this, but about 1 tablespoon of each ingredient works well in 1-2 litres of water.- Fill the vessel with hot water.
The water can be just shy of boiling for all-metal pieces, but should not be too hot to touch if the piece consists of alternative materials, such as resin. - Gently lower the pieces into the solution and watch the tarnish disappear.
This process can happen very quickly or take several minutes, depending on the temperature of the water. - Retrieve the pieces.
To avoid scratches on the metal, use a wood, plastic or rubber utensil and rinse in fresh water. - Dry them off.
Use a soft, clean cloth. - Touch Up.
Freshen the silver's surface with a polishing cloth.
Fine Jewellery Care
Caring for your handcrafted piece of fine jewellery will ensure it will be cherished for years to come. Follow the tips below to keep your piece in sparkling, like-new condition.
Fine Jewellery Care
Caring for your handcrafted piece of fine jewellery will ensure it will be cherished for years to come. Follow the tips below to keep your piece in sparkling, like-new condition.
- Jewellery that is worn regularly should be inspected annually. I offer complimentary inspections and cleaning of my fine jewellery to ensure that it remains in good condition and that each stone is tightly set. Please contact me to have this done.
- To preserve a stone’s polish and to prevent surface scratches on metal, always store your jewellery separately from other gems and jewellery. Wrapping your piece in a soft cloth or inside a fabric-lined box works well.
- Designs with delicate features, such as filigree, should not worn next to or stacked with other rings to avoid unnecessary abrasion.
- Fine jewellery should not be worn when doing heavy or dirty work with the hands.
- Do not clean your fine jewellery with abrasives such as baking soda or harsh chemicals.
- To clean your fine jewellery at home, follow these steps:
- Add some liquid dish soap to a bowl.
A few drops is all you need. - Fill the bowl with warm to hot water.
Hot or boiling water can be used for all-metal jewellery pieces as well as diamond jewellery. If your piece features other gemstones, it is safest to use only warm water, to avoid cracking that may result from rapid and drastic temperature changes. - Soak the jewellery
Allow the jewellery to sit for around 15 minutes; the warm soapy water will loosen dirty buildups in hard-to-reach areas. - Gently scrub the jewellery with a soft-bristle toothbrush.
Use a very soft bristled toothbrush to work away grime and dirt, adding liquid soap as necessary. Do not use stiff bristles or scouring pads as they will scratch the surface of your jewellery. - Rinse in warm water.
Running water will help to remove the soap and any residual dirt that you have loosened. Be sure to plug or cover any drain in case you drop your jewellery! - Blot dry & touch up.
Freshen the gold's surface with a polishing cloth.