Treat With Care
How to Prolong the Life of Your Jewelry
I care about my customers and your safety is high priority for me. Each piece of jewelry I create, the metal is sterilized with an alcohol swab immediately before it is packaged for shipment.
Once you receive your Earth Fusion Designs handmade piece of jewelry the jewelry care is the responsibility of the buyer. How a piece is treated & cared for will impact its longevity. Among other instances, avoid extreme temperatures, moisture, dropping, and wearing during rough activities. Proper care & handling will ensure a piece of jewelry that will stand the test of time.
Every order includes a polishing square to keep your jewelry looking as good as the day you receive it. Sterling silver naturally oxidizes, which produces tarnish. With just a light rub, these polishing squares keep your jewelry fresh & tarnish free. Using other cleaning methods can affect the patina as well as damage the stone. Please avoid any harsh chemicals or cleaners.
Store individually in its own case, or pouch, to prevent scratches. Store your sterling silver in a dry, cool place. Clean regularly with a jewelry polishing cloth. If your item contains a gemstone or is patinated (antiqued). Do not get wet. If your item gets wet, dry immediately. Seal in an airtight bag (plastic works fine) when storing sterling silver for an extended period of time.
Don’t leave silver jewelry in the bathroom. Humidity can speed up the oxidation process that produces tarnish.
Minimize sterling silver’s contact to chemicals (hairspray, perfume, body lotion, bleach, etc.) and do not wear in the shower, swimming pool or hot tub.
How to Clean Your Sterling Silver Jewelry
1) Rub the silver between a sterling silver polish cloth with your fingers to remove oxidation from silver.Tissues and paper towels can cause scratches. Be sure to use fresh cloths since the dirt and grit left on the cloth from a previous use can leave scrapes and pits. Use light pressure and allow the cloth to do the work for you. If your arm starts to ache, you’re probably pressing too hard.
2) Avoid rubbing the polish cloth on gemstones or shell.
3) Commercial cleaners can be purchased at jewelry stores. Always remember to read the instructions on the commercial cleaners first before you attempt cleaning. Most commercial cleaners are very strong and will remove all oxidation! Many of our designs are purposely oxidized then polished, so that crevices are darkened to bring out the depth and beauty of a piece. Take care not to remove this design element. Do not go overboard!
4) If you’d like to avoid harsh commercial cleaners and the polishing cloth doesn’t work, wash silver jewelry (without gemstones or pearls) in warm water containing a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid. Immerse the sterling silver in the water and gently hand wash. Use a cotton swab for tight corners. A soft baby toothbrush can be used for more abrasive cleaning when needed. Thoroughly rinse and completely dry the sterling silver before storing, as moisture is one of the factors that contribute to tarnishing!
5) Never clean your jewelry in bleach! Doing this will literally breakdown your jewelry. Bleach is an oxidizing agent that will react to the metal, causing it to become very brittle. Remember to remove your jewelry before swimming or soaking in a hot tub too!
6) If the jewelry contains gemstones or pearls, do not submerge the entire piece into water. Instead, use a cotton swab with mild dishwashing liquid to wash only the silver. Again, thoroughly rinse and completely dry the sterling silver before storing, as moisture is one of the factors that contribute to tarnishing! Chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone, and ammonia are all harmful to gemstones and pearls. These chemicals can dull or even pit the surface on softer gemstones, like amber, turquoise, lapis, and more.
7) Never use toothpaste or other abrasives to clean metal or stones. Some websites recommend toothpaste as a cleaner, but this is not an accepted practice by fine jewelers. The abrasives in toothpaste can damage the surface of the metal. Toothpaste will also abrade the surface on amber, lapis, turquoise and other soft stones.
8) If this steps do not remove the tarnish on the sterling silver, it may require a visit to a professional jeweler who will either clean the sterling silver with an ultrasonic cleaner, or buff it with stages of abrasive paper.
