So, you've bought this jewelry, And lost the Care sheet. What should you do?
Sterling Silver Sterling silver tarnishes with exposure to the sulfur-containing compounds present in a variety of materials. Tarnish is accelerated in humid environments. Oily salts from our fingers may, if not removed, show up as corrosion patterns. Since it is easier to discourage tarnish than it is to remove it, I recommend cleaning silver jewelry with a mild hand soap after each wearing, drying it thoroughly and returning it to an airtight bag between wearings. If necessary, it may be cleaned with a polishing cloth or paste silver cleaner. This should be followed by a thorough cleaning with soap and water after which the jewelry should be dried before returning it to the bag. Depending on the gemstones in the piece, prolonged soaking, cleaning with abrasives, ultrasonic, steam, or chemical cleaners is not recommended.
Mokumé gane Mokumé gane refers to a technique of combining differently-colored metals into a patterned sheet. I recommend cleaning this jewelry with soap and water and avoiding steam cleaning, prolonged soaking and abrasives.
Titanium & Niobium These metals are easily cleaned with glass cleaner or soapy water and a soft cloth. The use of abrasive cleaners will damage the color layer. Avoid any metal polishes or scrubbing soaps, that contain abrasives which may scrub away the sub-micron thick color layer.
Copper & Brass (only use this technique on copper or brass that has not been patinated ) If your copper items become unattractively tarnished, clean them with a commercial copper or brass cleaner or by by soaking them in a saturated solution of white vinegar and salt. Rinse thoroughly, dry and they’re ready to go!
It is always better to err on the side of caution. Please apply cosmetics, perfumes, etc. before you put on your jewelry. All jewelry can be damaged by exposure to household chemicals, especially chlorine-containing compounds. Please remove your jewelry when swimming or during hot-tub and spa visits.
