How to Care for Your Jewelry

• Do NOT sleep or bathe while wearing your jewelry.  Many people like to wear their jewelry day and night, but this constant rubbing and exposure to heat, water, chemicals, and the oils in your skin can cause permanent damage. 

• Jewelry should be the last item you put on after getting dressed and the first item you remove before undressing.  Apply hair spray, makeup, and perfume before you put on your jewelry.

• Pearls are quite porous.  Avoid getting perfume or other chemicals on them, which can destroy or stain the nacre.

• To help retard tarnish on sterling silver pieces, store them in a plastic zip-lock bag.
  

• Store jewelry with amethyst and other photosensitive stones such as opal and fluorite in a closed jewelry box and well away from bright light.  These crystals can fade from long-term exposure.  Remember where they were made - deep in the earth! 
  

• Soft stones can be scratched easily so store pieces separately.

• Jewelry is not a toy and should be kept away from infants and small children.  Never leave infants and small children with jewelry unattended as it can pose a choking hazard.  The Swarovski crystals used in some pieces contain lead; however, Swarovski states that "the crystal manufacturing process creates a matrix, which inhibits the mobility of lead. Because of this structure, lead crystal poses no significant risk of excessive lead exposure to human health via surface contact (hand to mouth), mouthing or even ingestion."  But while my jewelry may look good enough to eat, don't put it in your mouth or eat it! 

• Always remove your jewelry before using any bleach product.  Bleach can cause gold and other metal alloys to break down, leaving the metal irreparably damaged.  This can also happen in swimming pools and hot tubs where chlorine products are used. 

• Always remove your jewelry before using any other chemicals such as rubbing alcohol and acetone, which can cause permanent damage.

• Use common sense when wearing your jewelry.  My pieces are made to last with care, but are often constructed of delicate materials.  Avoid wearing a piece where it will get pulled or struck against hard surfaces, which can cause permanent damage.

If Your Jewelry Needs Cleaning:

• Gently wipe off makeup and skin oils with a soft, clean, 100% cotton cloth.  Do not use paper towels, tissue, or cloths that can scratch. 

• To remove fingerprints, light grease, or dirt, add a small amount of mild liquid soap to a half cup of warm water.  Dampen a clean, 100% cotton cloth with the mixture, and gently wipe your jewelry.  Rinse your cloth with water and gently clean.  Dry completely with a clean, soft cloth before storing.

• Never use bleach to clean jewelry.

• Never use toothpaste to clean jewelry.  It contains tiny, abrasive bits which can damage stones, pearls and metals.

• Do not use any soaking method to clean jewelry that has soft stones or that is on a stringing cord.  Extended soaking in any solution may harm the polish on many stones and crystal coatings.  Soaking a necklace made with stringing cord will weaken the cord and make it more susceptible to breaking.

• Take care when cleaning sterling silver.  It is a soft metal and can be easily scratched or bent.  Polish gently with a 100% cotton cloth and a nonabrasive cleaner made especially for silver, or with a cloth specially treated to remove silver tarnish.  Wipe off the cleaner thoroughly.  Be careful that you don't rub or scratch soft beads (e.g., pearls) in the piece.

• Do not use ultrasonic cleaners, which can damage many stones.