|
GW SILVER COMPANY
ADDRESS: ALTOS DE REDONDO # 7 BIS, COL. CENTRO
TAXCO, MEXICO C.P. 40200
TEL/FAX: 001(52)762-622-6151
EMAIL: vgraemew@GMAIL.COM
WEB ADDRESS: WWW.GWSilver.com
Consider these tips on jewelry care:
If you've ever had an ugly gray residue around your neck, wrists or fingers,
you've experienced the effects of tarnished silver. Because of its vulnerability
to tarnishing, sterling silver needs special care.
Oxygen -- which produces tarnish -- is silver's worst enemy, so always tuck
away your silver jewelry pieces in places like drawers, plastic bags or velvet
pouches instead of leaving them out in the open. I often recommend to my
clients to leave the silver which is not immediately placed on your shelves,
in the tissue paper which I have used to wrap and protect your order. The
reason is that tissue paper provides the added protection to keep your
pieces protected, where as placing silver in a plastic bag alone can scratch
and it will tarnish quicker for plastic, believe it or not, is quite porous.
Usually, wiping well-kept silver with a jewelry cloth will suffice for maintenance,
unless tarnish already has appeared. If you want to clean the jewelry further,
use a solution specifically made for silver. Do not use silver cleaning solutions
on other jewelry -- they can damage other types of metals and gemstones.
A thick, homemade paste -- made out of baking soda and a few drops of water
-- also can clean silver well. Rinse and dry the piece after using the paste.
For elegant gold, platinum and gemstone jewelry, look for a commercial jewelry
cleaner, which often comes in either liquid or paste. Liquids work best with
rings and any pieces with gemstones, because paste can get caught in settings.
If your gold piece is 18 karats or higher, it especially needs a commercial
cleaner designed specifically for fine jewelry; the high-karat gold is softer
and can be damaged by harsher liquids like dish soap.
Pearls are among the most delicate jewels and require special care. Wipe pearls
off with a damp soft cloth after each wearing because sweat, body oil and
cosmetic products can erode the pearls. Keep your pearls away from hard or
sharp jewelry items that could scratch them. Pearls are best stored in a
soft cloth pouch, or a separately lined segment of a jewelry box.
If you use an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, don't use it for porous and fragile
turquoise or malachite as well as any silver jewelry pieces which have the
antiquing process (what you see as black on a silver jewelry piece). Pearls
as well as other organic materials need special care or will
be damaged by the device.
Store fine jewelry carefully; don't just toss it in a jewelry box. The metals,
gemstones and other materials can get scratched, especially if they are softer
gemstones. The hardest stones -- such as diamonds, sapphires and rubies --
are the least vulnerable to scratching, but they still need to be handled
with care. Wrap pieces individually in tissue paper or velvet, or arrange
them carefully in a jewelry box so that they do not touch each other.
When getting dressed, try to apply perfumes and hair sprays and let them dry
before putting on jewelry, so that it doesn't develop a residue; this especially
applies to pearls. Also, make sure all body lotion has absorbed into the
skin before putting on jewelry.
Do not wear jewelry -- particularly rings or bracelets -- while doing any household
cleaning, gardening, or other dirty work. Even wedding rings, which people
often do not take off, will be in better condition if they are removed before
chores. Over time, the household soaps can cause stress and fatigue in the
metals. Note: clorox will turn your silver black so don't wear or have your
jewelry in close proximity to the liquid or the immediate environment.
Check jewelry pieces regularly for signs of wear and tear, like missing or
loose stones, and obtain necessary repairs. If you have a pearl necklace
that you wear frequently, have it re-strung annually with knots between each
pearl, so that if the string breaks, the pearls won't be lost.
We highly recommend two off the shelf products which will be
satisfactory for your silver jewelry cleaning needs: Wright's Silver Polish
as a cream and as a paste. Apply the paste with the sponge enclosed or use
a 100% cotton ball to gently rub the piece. You will be pleased with the
results and Wright's Silver products have an anti-tarnish composition which
will give an added protection against rapid tarnishing.
|
