Cleaning tips and technical info

Common Sense Cleaning Tips for Fine Jewelry OK grasshoppers, a great many of you ask about "How do I clean my new treasure?" and I wanted to sort of address this in a page that gives helpful hints and common sense advise. I will give here general tips and hints and offer observations that are sound, you need to realize that there may be exceptions to this advise, but those will be rare cases like treated oiled or enhanced gems, or other factors I cannot predict, so proceed with caution...

Cleaning Rings Most rings that are made from precious metals are polished, so the first thing you want to realize is that you do not want to scrub them with a toothbrush, for that will surely leave small scratches and micro sort of satin effects that will compromise the polish... What you want to know is that for diamond jewelry or for those items which are constructed from gold or platinum with stones or gems which are not treated or oiled, these can be soaked overnight in ammonia and water, 50/50 and rinsed to get them very clean, the organics being disolved by the process.

Now, this is not for pearls, or coral or other organic gems or opals, but say for sapphires, rubies, diamonds and other gems which are not effected by water or cleaning agents this is a great way to go at home. Of course you can visit that nice mall store, and asked to see something expensive, then ask if they can "steamclean your ring" and you'll find that is enough to get a commission sales-clerk off their butt and steamcleaning is a fast and perfect way to go... ..and if ya play yer cards right it is also free {Grin}... Do not let them polish that of course, for most clerks over-polish items and add years (decades?) of wear to an item by doing so, and they might get their tie caught in the polishing wheels and get hurt anyway, so avoid this service from a mall clerk... So, in most cases soaking the rings overnight are going to be the ticket to keeping them clean and beautiful to the maximum degree...

Avoid using a toothbrush on your jewelry at all times, and if you just made a batch of cookies and forgot to take that ring off, which now looks like it's stuffed full of silly putty, take that to be steamcleaned, which takes about two minutes and should cost next to nothing. You can clean significant amounts of "stuff" by soaking your rings, and this you can do at home easily and avoid those expensive cleaners... Now, a bit about metals... Platinum is much denser than is gold, about 1.7 times the mass, so it stands to reason that when you want maximum strength in a delicate design platinum is the choice... Platinum will take a high polish, but toothbrushes will turn that rapidly into a hazy light satin , so soak platinum rings...

Gold above 10Kt is pretty stable as far as finish, although I have seen 10Kt discolor due to someone's system and the salts produced, so I say 14Kt is a good default for nice things, and it is perfectly safe to soak gold items overnight to clean them, rinsing them agressively in the morning... Cleaning Celtic and Patterned Rings A great many rings are heavily patterned and have designs which are enhanced with antique or a darkening agent to contrast the design more, accent the depth as it were... This is where you definately want not to use a toothbrush, and in fact since most of the antique bases are that of a jewelry specific paint you should also avoid paint thinner, acetone and other stuff like that...

Rhodium plating and other surface treatements are reversable with wear, so you can expect antique or plating to wear over time as the surface wears, but this can be reversed in the shop process... To restore antique finishes in designs we sell a small kit of a jewelry specfic paint, which can be applied and wiped off the surface, with the paint remaining in the lines and recesses nicely, but as the ring wears down over time the depth will reduce and very subtilly so will the paint's ability to be held in the lines and design...

No Toothbrushes please for fine jewelry!

I recommend lightly soaking in a very mild detergent for antiqued and plated rings, and with antiqued rings you do not want to steamclean, for this will surely remove the antique and can damage plating as well Cleaning Treated Gems, Opals, Coral or Pearls Please avoid strong cleaners in all cases when these stones and gems are present, the strong agents can cause the surface of pearls for example to become hazy and non-reflective, and while this can be reversed it should be avoided, and these items should be taken to a good store to be cleaned... In the shop we used to soak emeralds and opals and other items in a very light solution of a mild detergent to clean them after polishing, and sonics and steamers are a bad idea with heat sensitive stones and gems like Opals... In most cases what I want to explain is that in taking care of your fine jewelry it will look better for longer, and be less problems too...

Cleaning Chains, Bracelets and Earrings Also something that is soaked for excellent results, and for precious metal chains a mixture of ammonia and water about 50/50 is the ticket to get the dirt and stuff out of the links and joints, which really can wear a chain out fast... Chains are also something that you do not want to try to polish yourself at all, other than to draw that thru say a tee-shirt fabric and wipe it agressively, but I have seen some really bad things happen when inexperience folks try to polish a chain on a polishing wheel, so do not risk that please... Steam cleaning for these items is also the prefered methode, but when you want to clean agressively soaking is a great start to loosen up and disolve it into solution, then the steam cleaning will be even more effective, but avoid toothbrushes for the scratches and decreased shine... Imagine that!

What Causes Sterling Silver To Tarnish, and fingers to turn black ?

Tarnish itself is actually surface oxidization of the metal ,and is primarily caused by exposure to hydrogen sulfides in the atmosphere. Sterling Silver contains 7 1é2 % copper ( the alloy ) and the presence of copper allows tarnish to occur more readily. Pure Silver, referred to in the industry as 999 or fine Silver will also oxidize when exposed to the atmosphere, but not as fast, or severe.

Heat accelerates most chemical processes so when it¼s hot and you¼re wearing Sterling Silver jewelry, it will ( usually ) tarnish at a much faster rate. The salts, acids and toxins in our perspiration as a RESULT of hotter temperatures play a large roll in accelerated tarnishing also. Salt seems to be a particular culprit. Ever see silver brought up from the bottom of the ocean? It¼s BLACK.

People have told me that they have, or know of someone who wears a Sterling Silver chain, but that it doesn¼t tarnish in high heat or otherwise, but what most people DON¾T know is that almost all Sterling silver chains are plated with Rhodium (platinum family) and that is a very durable, shiny, silver looking metal which does not tarnish. Therefore, just because a person has no tarnish problems with a Sterling Silver chain, that doesn¼t mean they¼re exempt from having a problem with something else.

Now let me tell you about something else with regard to green or black fingers: When Sterling Silver is heated during soldering, or melting for a pour and the silver is exposed to the atmosphere ( air ) at the same time, extreme oxidation occurs on and even IN the metal, known as cupric oxide. Jewelers have many other names for it, but I can¼t print them here! Cupric oxide occurs as a faint, dull, purplish discoloration on the metal and it must be COMPLETELY sanded / polished out, or severe tarnishing will occur, especially where the metal contacts the skin.

All who smith in silver must deal with this, and the more severe the occurrence of cupric oxide, the harder it is to remove. I check for cupric by holding white toilet paper under the jewelry and under a 100 watt light. It can be very hard to detect or it can be painfully obvious. Jewelers use various compounds/ fluxes to coat the silver, so as to shield it from the atmosphere ( air ) during soldering and melting, but no one is perfect. Cupric happens! Cupric oxide is a possible reason for fingers and rings to turn green or black. IF that is the problem, then re polishing and checking the jewelry will usually eliminate the cupric oxide. In rare cases the metal can be overheated during the melting process to the point that the copper alloy oxidizes THROUGH OUT the metal, and cupric oxides exist on a complete and molecular level. When that happens the metal must be sold as scrap and re founded.

Another reason for fingers and rings turning green or black is if the person wearing the jewelry has an allergy or skin irritation as a result of wearing Sterling Silver.

There is another reason this tarnishing can occur. I sometimes use a very powerful, hydrochloric acid based chemical called „ Silver Black¾. In the industry we refer to this as „ Antique¾, because the application of this chemical darkens the recesses of the design and gives the piece an old or antique look. I use antique to create dramatic contrast, and depth of field in my pieces of Sterling Silver and gold alike. When applied to the jewelry , the antique instantly BLACKENS the entire piece, and after it dries I sand the surface(s ) removing all antique except for the relief of the design. Antique is actually severe tarnish at the speed of light. Its tarnish in a bottle and it is so pervasive that I often have to clean and re polish the jewelry two or three times and change buffs in order to remove all residue. The great thing about antique is that it adheres well and lasts a long time. The hard part of using it is that it adheres well and lasts a long time! ANY residue of antique ( when it is fresh ) that contacts skin and jewelry at the same time can cause a very disappointing blackening of finger and ring alike. One homeowner solution is to take Crest Toothpaste on a damp, clean sponge ( as a mild abrasive ) and simply wash the ring, and try it again. Another solution is to call me and be mildly abrasive and I will have another go a t it for you.( grin )

I decided to put this text on my site for my customers and friends because the subject of tarnish comes up often, and I need to be able to refer folks to my site. That¼s what the site is for. I also want to make it clear that should anyone EVER have a tarnish problem with anything I made for them, not to worry about it as I will solve the problem whatever it may be. As you can see there are many potential causes for a piece of Sterling Silver jewelry tarnish. The information provided here is well within industry standards.

Thank You

Shane Green Primal Instinct Designs

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