Jewelry Care Guide
Care and Cleaning Your Jewelry
Light, heat and chemicals can affect a colored gemstone's durability and color. Excessive heat and sudden temperature changes may also fracture the gem. Heat can easily remove the natural moisture some gems need to retain their beauty. Pearls can dry out, crack and discolor.
Exposure to chemicals can damage and discolor precious metals; gold, silver, and platinum. Its natural for sterling silver of oxidize when exposed to air it is the other metals, usually copper, that oxidizes in the air resulting in the build up of a tarnished layer on sterling silver jewelry.
- Sterling Silver
Silver tarnishes faster in areas with high humidity and air pollution. Additionally contact with materials like cosmetics, hairspray, perfume, deodorant, body lotion, bleach, etc., can speed up the tarnishing process. Your ring may also become oxidized by reacting with acids in your skin, the moisture in perspiration, or by reacting with some other lotion or chemical on your skin. Below are some common culprits
- Cosmetics
Make-up present on the skin or clothing is the most common cause of blackening or smudging. Cosmetics often contain chemical compounds which are harder than the jewelry itself. These compounds can rub off very tiny particles of metal which appear as jet black dust.
Solution:
Remember to remove rings & jewelry while applying make-up. Using soap & water, clean the areas of your skin that will come into contact with the jewelry making sure all soap is rinsed off and your hands are dry
- Moisture & Humidity
Moisture in the air or on the skin can react with the copper present in all Sterling Silver jewelry, causing a green discoloration and tarnish to develop. This is a fairly common complaint in hot, humid climates and can also affect individuals with particularly moist skin.
Solution:
Keep your silver jewelry out of the bathroom and shower area. Leave your silver jewelry at home when you go to the gym, swimming pool or spa.
- Contact with Sulfur Compounds
Sulfur compounds can cause Sterling Silver to tarnish. Avoid wearing your jewelry in heavily polluted environments. Also be careful when handling coal or oil, and when preparing foods containing sulphur such as eggs, onions, fish or shellfish.
Keep it clean and safe
El Arete jewelry should be removed before swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool, or before using household cleaners. Many cleaners contain ammonia, which is only safe for diamonds. Chlorine bleach, another common household solvent, can deteriorate gold alloys.
Store your clean dry jewelry in a dry air-tight container, anti-tarnish pouched or a dedicated jewelry box. Its best to store pieces individually. Always take off your jewelry before getting in the shower, swimming pool or hot tub, clean it with a dry soft cloth, or polishing cloth, before storing it away.
Clean most colored gems with a soft brush. A soft, lint-free cloth can also be used.
Soft gems, such as pearls, on the other hand, can easily be scratched. We suggest using an unused makeup brush instead.