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Silver Flake News
Useful Tips for Cleaning Antique Jewelry
Without Damaging The Precious Metals, Stones
And Jewels.
Firstly, although this is slightly off topic for this article,
can I offer one tip that will enable you to enjoy your jewellery
for many, many years? Then, if the worst happens and your
beautiful items are stolen in a burglary, you will stand the
best chance of getting them back.
The Care and Cleaning of Gold, Silver and Platinum
Gold and silver are malleable and ductile, chemically stable
by themselves and can be recycled and remodelled into a multitude
of items. Gold retains its lustre over prolonged periods and
will not chip, flake or corrode. Highly polished silver is
the best reflector of light and retains its strength despite
distortion. Unfortunately, this does not mean that either
of them are indestructible.
Gold
Gold is measured in carats and is an indication of its purity.
Most of us discover the importance of gold ranges when we
get married, and the choices are usually from 9 carats (9ct),
18ct, 22ct and 24ct. However, the purer the gold, the softer
it is, until, in its purest form of 24 carats, it becomes
one of the softest metals known.
Purer gold scratches and buckles easily with any kind of
abrasion or force and so is best removed to do work which
might damage it. Equally, several rings on the same finger
can often be the cause of a ring suffering deep scratches
or wear, particularly if they are of different carats and
perhaps one or more containing even harder substances like
diamonds.
Surprisingly enough, most gold jewellery can be cleaned in
warm soapy water, and any angular areas around stones or the
back of the item, which may be indented, can be reached with
an old soft toothbrush, dipped in the soapy solution. Gold
also responds to a light rubbing with a rouge-impregnated
cloth, which gives it a shine, available in most supermarkets,
but high carat golds shouldn't need it.
18ct gold and higher, will not usually suffer from discolouration
or tarnish and isn't harmed by contact with household chemicals.
However, bleach and other cleaning products WILL damage lower
carat golds as they aren't so pure (being alloys of metals)
and are therefore much more prone to attack by corrosive chemicals.
Storing Silver
When putting silver into storage, it's not necessary to clean
or polish it. After prolonged storage, it will need cleaning
anyway. Don't use ordinary newspaper to wrap the silver, nor
use elastic bands to bind several pieces together. After a
while the rubber will bond to the silver as the band deteriorates
and rots, leaving a stain, as will newspaper. Instead, use
acid-free paper to wrap items and store where it's not damp.
Slightly tarnished sterling silver will easily renew to a
bright polish by simply rubbing or buffing with a soft cloth.
When an item is heavily tarnished then a proprietary silver
cleaning solution, such as Goddard's Silver Dip will always
do the trick.
To remove heavy tarnish there are many liquids and creams
available that are rubbed or smeared on and polished off again
with a soft cloth. Many have names that include the terms,
"long term", "tarnish resistant" or "long
shine". This means they contain a chemical that leaves
a protective layer on the silver, which reduces its direct
contact with the air. Cutlery should therefore be washed thoroughly
before use.
A WARNING ABOUT SILVER PLATE! Always use the least abrasive
option when dealing with silver plate. Over enthusiastic rubbing
will remove the silver to reveal the base metal, especially
on external corners and the rims of lids etc. Any trip to
any antiques fair will reveal many, many items that have suffered
this fairly tragic fate, which can be expensive to repair.
The Care and Cleaning of Diamonds and Gemstones
Perhaps the most important thing to bear in mind here is
the potential for loss. Always use a bowl of water to clean
your jewellery, not the sink. If you stand the bowl in the
sink, put the plug in first, and don't remove it again until
you're sure you've got all the pieces you started with. It
might sound obvious, but you wouldn't believe how much jewellery
goes down the drain!
Firstly, check the gemstone or diamond is secure in its claw
mounting. Hold the item in one hand and use a fingernail to
just touch the diamond. If it's loose you'll see it rock or
move. This will need to be repaired by your jeweller first,
who will tighten the claws. An old soft toothbrush and warm
soapy water is ideal to remove the grease, dust, grit and
dead skin that fills the gaps and indentations around the
stone anchors of a ring or other item of jewellery. This works
equally well for almost all types of gemstone, including,
ruby, emerald and sapphire.
A gentle brush, even an artists brush is infinitely preferable
to using a cloth from which threads can be snagged and pulled.
If a thread gets caught in a claw, it can bend or weaken the
grip of the claw and stones can be lost weeks or months later.
Once again check the stone for movement, just to make sure
it wasn't the dirt holding it in place. It should now be gleaming
again with a nice new sparkle!
BE AWARE! That some stones are quite 'soft' and others are
particularly absorbent. Gemstones that fall into this category
are; pearls, ivory, coral, turquoise, opal and amber. Care
must be exercised when cleaning not to scratch them or leave
them soaking. They are also best stored in separate compartments
of a jewellery box.
The Care and Cleaning of Pearls
Pearls are of particular concern because any damage usually
results in discolouration and/or a reduction of lustre. They
can be affected by perfume, hairspray, deodorant creams and
sprays, makeup, skin lotions and nail polish remover.
Put pearls on AFTER using any of these products and after
sufficient drying time for sprays and creams. Just wipe your
pearls off with a soft damp cloth before putting them away,
so that any residue doesn't remain to damage them in storage.
General Safeguards
Whilst your jewellery is not being worn, it is best stored
in a lined box or soft pouch, similar too, if not the one
you had, when the item was purchased. Necklaces shouldn't
be allowed to become tangled and metal or diamonds can easily
scratch other metals or plate, just by being next to each
other.
This can ruin or dull a polished surface very quickly, with
the obvious disappointment and loss in value that will be
the result.
I also would advise against wearing your jewellery whilst
gardening, doing housework, or playing any kind of sport,
in particular swimming. Jewellery is particularly susceptible
to damage from the effects of chemicals present in perfume,
hairspray, nail polish remover and deodorant.
If a lost ring or earring is trodden into the lawn, it can
be a hundred years before it's found. Likewise, rings can
all too easily slip off soapy or sweaty hands and be lost
forever.
Your local swimming baths are especially destructive to expensive
jewellery as the chlorine found in the water can cause surface
damage. Gold and silver hate chlorine which was an active
ingredient introduced during the refining process to separate
the base metals in the melting crucible.
I apologise to our American friends who will object to my
spelling of jewelry as jewellery. We must, in this instance,
agree to differ and blame it on the pond. Thanks :-)
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/utilityroom/cleaning%20jewellery.htm
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