Jewelry is made to be worn, loved, and tell a story. It also requires a little maintenance to remain heirloom quality and shiny. If you want your jewelry to last a lifetime and beyond, below are some helpful tips. :)
Take off your jewelry (sometimes)
I know, I know. Some of you (including myself) love to wear your jewelry all the time. To make sure your jewelry stays in beautiful shape, be sure to take it off before you:
- sleep.
- exercise or do physical labor.
- shower or take a bath.
- swim in chlorine, salt water, or fresh water.
- clean or come into contact with any harsh chemicals.
- apply lotions or perfumes.
Do not overthink it. If you forget every once in awhile, it will be okay! These are just best practices to keep from damaging, scratching, breaking prongs, chipping stones, or eroding metal from friction, chemicals, etc.
Clean your jewelry (regularly)
Sometimes the jewelry you love and wear the most gets a little dirty - and that's okay! Here is how you can clean it:
Fill a small vessel with lukewarm water and unscented dish soap. Let your jewelry soak in the soapy water for 5-15 minutes. After you remove your jewelry, dip a soft bristle toothbrush into the soapy water and gently scrub your jewelry. This will help get into the nooks and crannies! Rinse your jewelry in clean water and dry with a soft cloth.
For a quick shine, use the blue Sunshine polishing cloth that came with your order. This also works on cleaning tarnish off of sterling silver. When the cloth is completely black, it is time for a new one. Please reach out if you need a new polishing cloth!
Do not use an ultrasonic cleaner for jewelry items with gemstones or cabochons.
Store your jewelry (properly)
Store your jewelry in a safe spot away from direct sunlight, high heat, high humidity, and water.
Store your jewelry individually in a way so the stones and metal do not touch or rub in any way. Some harder gemstones can scratch softer gemstones and friction can slowly rub away metal, engraving, enameling, etc.
Store your jewelry (especially sterling silver) with black anti-tarnishing tabs (included in your order) or small silica gel packs to absorb humidity. These will need to be replaced periodically.
Understand your jewelry (and ask questions)
At EBJ, the below metals are used in my designs. These are precious metals that make your EBJ pieces heirloom quality. I do not add plating to any of my designs.
- Sterling Silver: 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Copper is added to silver to increase the durability of the metal to make it the jewelry quality standard throughout most of the world. While tarnishing is normal with sterling silver, it can be easily cleaned with polishing cloths.
- 14K Gold: Karat (K or Kt) measures the purity of gold by parts of 24 (24K is pure gold). 14K gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts silver and copper, creating a 58.3% gold alloy. 24K gold is rarely used in jewelry as it is too soft. 14K gold is the perfect balance of high quality, durable, and rich color.
- 10K Gold: 10 parts gold and 14 parts silver and copper to make a 41.7% pure gold alloy. This is the most durable and affordable solid gold option. EBJ sometimes uses 10K gold as accent parts of jewelry.
- Gold Fill (14/20): 14/20 gold fill is made when a thick layer of 14 karat gold is mechanically bonded to an inner core metal (brass for yellow gold and copper for rose gold). The 14 in 14/20 refers to the outer layer of 14K gold. The 20 refers to the gold to core metal ratio, which is 1/20 or 5% gold and 95% core metal. This 5% outer gold layer is roughly 100 times thicker than standard gold plated jewelry, meaning it will not easily flake, peel, or rub off with normal wear. This is an affordable alternative to solid gold jewelry, but the outer gold layer can wear out over time if it is not taken care of properly.
If a brand refuses to give exact details about the metals or materials they use, ask questions and be skeptical. Some fast fashion brands are selling "waterproof" or "tarnish free" jewelry, which are marketing terms used to sell unspecified (and sometimes toxic) metal jewelry that is usually plated with a very thin layer of gold. That thin layer technically won't "tarnish", but it will rub off and never be seen again. Yes, metal is technically "waterproof" in the way that it won't immediately deteriorate in the water, but over time, exposure to water, sweat, salt, chlorine, and body oils affect all materials. It is normal to take care of the things you love (including jewelry), so if a brand is trying to sell you jewelry with "zero maintenance", ask questions.
And feel free to ask me questions about the materials I use, the gemstones I source, or whatever you are curious about!