Jewelry
Care and Cleaning
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Tips on how to care for and
clean your handcrafted jewelry the easy and inexpensive way.
All the methods below apply to wirework and other
types of sterling silver, fine silver, gold filled and gold jewelry, with the
exception of the last section which applies only to copper and brass jewelry.
Please Note: Do not wear jewelry
while washing dishes, swimming, showering or bathing. Chlorine, bleach and other
chemicals in soaps and detergents may damage soft stones, pearls and cause metals
to discolor.
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Cleaning
a wirework cameo or
gemstone
Jewelry
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 The best way to keep your cameo clean and
the wirework polished is some toothpaste and an old toothbrush. Use a gentle
toothpaste without baking soda. Be careful using the toothbrush on the wirework
so it doesn't get caught in the wires, just brush gently. Rinse it off with
water and gently pat dry with a towel. Let it air dry completely before
placing in the plastic bag.
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You can use this method on other gemstones
as well, but not with pearls. An ionic jewelry cleaner (not ultrasonic)
can be used on just about anything including pearls, but they are expensive
and for cameos the toothpaste method is the best for cleaning the surface
of the cameo.
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Storing your cameo or pendant in a small
zip lock plastic bag when it's not being worn will keep it from tarnishing.
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Caring for Wirework Gemstone or Dichroic Glass
Jewelry
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 Try not to drop. Stones,
shells and glass are breakable if dropped on a hard surface such as concrete.
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Keep jewelry in a zip lock
plastic bag. Exposure to air and moisture causes tarnishing.
It should only need cleaning once a year
at most, maybe every two or three years. Not because of tarnish but the wire
may become slightly dull and not be it's shiniest.
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Resist the temptation to
fiddle with the wirework. If you feel that the gemstone is loose or it needs
adjusting have some one who does wirework look at the piece. If it is
a Leeleeko Jewelry piece contact us.
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Dichroic
glass can be cleaned with glass cleaner such as Windex or rubbing alcohol
use a cotton swab to apply.
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Caring for
Pearl Jewelry
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 Pearls are fragile and require
more care than other types of jewelry.
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We clean our pearl jewelry
with an ionic jewelry cleaner. If you do not have one, have your pearls cleaned
by a professional.
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Don't use toothpaste or an
ultrasonic cleaner to clean pearls.
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Don't wear body lotion if
you are wearing a pearl necklace and take care not to spray hairspray or perfume
on pearls.
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Don't
use anti-tarnish strips when storing pearls. These are fine for most jewelry,
however they may discolor pearls, I am not positive about this but be cautious,
pearls are finicky.
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 Caring
for Gemstone, Shell, Glass, Polymer Clay Beaded Jewelry
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We use an ionic cleaner.
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If there are silver beads
or the clasp has become dull or tarnished you can use an old toothbrush and
toothpaste to clean them.
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Keeping in a closed box or
zip lock bag will keep silver or gold beads and clasp polished longer.
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Caring for
Wire Chokers
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Be careful not to kink a
wire choker by bending or stretching.
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To clean use a silver polishing
cloth.
Gently pull down the length of the wire taking care not to straighten the
wire out.
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Keep choker in a closed box
or zip lock bag to keep choker polished longer.
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Caring for
Copper and Brass Jewelry
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An easy way
to remove tarnish which does not damage stones is to clean with white vinegar.
Take an old toothbrush and dip in vinegar and lightly brush surface of copper.
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Rinse off with water. Dry
with a towel or hair dryer on cool setting.
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Keeping in
a zip lock bag or box when not worn helps keep tarnish down. Make sure item
is completely dry before sealing in bag.
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