jewellery care
Your new ring or pendant is a little piece of wearable art and in order to enjoy it for many years to come, it should be treated with a level of care. Most jewellery, especially handmade items, has parts (such as claw settings or necklace clasps) that will endure stress if worn in the shower, swimming pool, during working with tools or even when you are sleeping. Chlorine from pools and cleaning products can cause pitting and brittleness. It's always best to remove your jewellery if you're in any doubt.
Care should be taken to avoid spraying gemstones with perfume or hairspray, as these products have high acidity and many gemstones will react to this, causing clouding, discolouration or even pitting. Some gemstones such as Opal and Turquoise are classed as soft and as such are more vulnerable to damage than others. The International Mohs Scale measures how resistant to scratching a gemstone is - the lower the number, the softer the stone:
Inspecting your jewellery frequently can help detect problems before they become irreversible - it is a good idea to check claw settings which have been 'pulled' outwards by a caught strand of hair or clothing. Check clasps and jump rings for any signs of being pulled open.
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Any good jewellery repair centre can take care of these issues for you. Unfortunately most silversmiths don't really like to re-size gemstone rings, as the heat from their soldering irons can risk cracking or discolouring the gemstone - this indicates how delicate most gemstones are. However there are a few repair centres who can carry out re-sizing and repairs using laser technology, which doesn't carry the same kind of heat risks as the traditional soldering process.
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Whilst Two Skies is unable to carry out any type of jewellery re-sizing or repairs, we are certainly happy to try to help or make suggestions. Every piece is unique, and therefore advice will vary from piece to piece.
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Most jewellery can be cleaned carefully using a simple method at home. A silver polishing cloth will last for a long time and is a great ally in helping to take care of your silver jewellery. A few drops of mild detergent in warm water is suitable for all stones except for pearl and amber (as they are 'organic' gemstones), but the jewellery should only be dipped quickly and never be soaked for lengthy periods. Use a soft cloth to wipe dry and allow the jewellery to dry out completely before storing or wearing.
Amber and pearls should just be wiped with a soft cloth and not exposed to any cleaning solution. The majority of gemstones should never be cleaned with silver dip type cleaners. When not in use, store your items in a jewellery box or pouch. Naturally blue stones like Turquoise do not like to be stored in direct sunlight, as they can fade.
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RESIZING TWO SKIES ADJUSTABLE RINGS
It is quite easy to change the size of the ring yourself as long as you go slowly and are careful, manipulating the inner area of the band with warm fingers, rather than pulling at the end sections – this will help keep a round shape too. This ring will span quite a few sizes without compromising the original design concept. Once set, it is advisable not to resize again, as silver is quite soft and can become brittle and snap if bent too frequently.
With the right care and consideration, gemstone jewellery should last a beautiful lifetime.