Jewelry Care
Your jewelry can stay beautiful for years with gentle care, regular cleaning, and safe storage when not in use. We are always happy to help if you have a question, or if an issue arises!
Sunshine Polishing Cloth
Sterling silver and copper tarnish naturally and both require occasional cleaning. Copper can react to acids in the environment. Storing your sterling silver or copper jewelry in plastic bags with an interlocking seal when it’s not being worn slows the tarnishing process. (Remember: Never store pearls in plastic bags!) Polish Sterling Silver, Gold, Brass, and Copper carefully with your Sunshine Cloth to shine polished surfaces. It can be used safely on gemstones as well.
Mohs Hardness Scale
This non- linear chart was developed in the early 19th century to describe relative hardness, and is still used today. The higher the Mohs scale number, the harder the substance.
Diamonds - 10
Rubies and Sapphires - 9
Emeralds and Topaz - 8
Garnet, Tourmaline, Quartz - 7
Opal, Aquamarine, Morganite - 6
Pearl, Coral, Amber - 4
Gold, Silver, and Platinum - 2.5 - 4
Jewelry metals require special care when wearing, storing, or cleaning.
Other Cleaning Methods
Soap and Water: A mild soap and water solution used with a soft brush (e.g. old toothbrush) is effective for many home jewelry care needs. Even the mild chemicals of commercial jewelry cleaning products may damage certain gems. Soap and water is the mildest choice for most gems and jewelry, but do not use it with amber, coral, emerald, jade, kunzite, lapis lazuli, opal, or turquoise.
Valuable Tips
• Try to protect all jewelry from sharp blows, harsh chemicals, sunlight and extreme temperatures. Chlorine, cleaning chemicals (including soaps and hand sanitizer), and salt water can discolor and damage jewelry as well as eventually loosen stones and settings.
• Put jewelry on after using cosmetics, hair spray or perfumes to avoid contact with substances and chemicals that can cause damage to your metal and finish.
• Remove rings when working with your hands, such as performing household tasks, gardening, and using abrasive particles.
• Carefully wipe jewelry with a soft chamois or flannel cloth after each wearing to remove oils and salts. This is especially important for pearls. Store jewelry not being worn in anti-tarnish bags.
Again: Never store pearls in plastic bags!
• Copper that tarnishes too quickly can be cleaned to the shine you want and then sealed with a thin coating of paste wax, such as Renaissance Wax. The excess should be wiped off, and polished to a shine, much like applying wax to a car. This additional finish will slow the tarnishing process without damaging the metal, or harming most patina finishes.
• All finishes will wear over time. Antique finishes can be darkened at home with liver of sulphur paste. Satin finishes can be refreshed using a green Scotch-Brite pad.