Jewelry Care
Fine jewelry is delicate and requires careful handling. Always apply makeup, hair products, lotion, or fragrance before putting on your jewelry. Perfume should not come in contact with the surface of pearls. When you remove your jewelry, you may wipe it gently with a soft jewelry cloth (especially if the jewelry has had prolonged contact with skin oils or perspiration), and store it in a box or pouch.
Strung Necklaces and Bracelets
All jewelry that is hand-strung and knotted on thread must be periodically restrung. This is necessary because, with regular wear, the thread is weakened by contact with the edges of the holes in gemstones or pearls.
When restringing is needed, please contact me and I will be happy to provide this service. Restringing is charged at cost.
Earrings, Rings, and Metal Pieces
The best way to clean your jewelry is in a solution of Dawn dish detergent and Fantastik cleaner (NO BLEACH) mixed with water. Mix together the following:
- a healthy teaspoon of Dawn
- 8 pumps of Fantastik
- about 1/3 cup of hot water
You can also heat this solution in a microwave until it is steaming hot, warm the jewelry under the tap with hot water, and then gently lower the piece into the solution.
Soak in this solution until it cools to room temperature, and then scrub GENTLY with an old toothbrush. Pay special attention to the back of the stones, which is where the most oil and dirt collects. Rinse thoroughly, and then blow the water out of the back of the settings and dry with a paper towel. This solution can be saved in a jar and used over and over.
For an easier version of this, you can simply spray your piece directly with Fantastik, and then gently scrub them with the toothbrush under hot running water. The backs of the stones are where the oils from skin tend to hide, and the degreaser in Fantastik seems to work best in removing it.
This same process can be used for jewelry with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.
Do NOT clean emeralds, pearls, other soft stones, or strung jewelry in this way!