Swirsky Designs

Finding a piece you love is just the beginning. Keeping your jewelery in gorgeous condition only takes a few minutes and will add to both the durability and attractiveness of your favorite pieces.

- Never store jewelery wet. Even though water will not hurt precious metals or most gemstones, it can hurt springs and moving parts as well as weaken joints. Additives to the water may cause build ups that are difficult to remove

- Try to store pieces so that they are not touching each other. Some of the materials are quite hard and can scratch softer surfaces.

- Remove rings/bracelets before applying hand lotions.

- A polishing cloth is inexpensive and a great fast way to keep metals looking their best. Available for purchase from 5 shekel

- Dish soap and an old soft toothbrush is all you need to bring back the shine!  I do not recommend toothpaste as it is an abrasive and can leave scratches.

- Most commercial white gold is plated with other metals to give it that gleaming white finish.  Over time, these platings can wear off and the more buttery yellow will show through.  These platings can be redone at select jewelery companies.

- Tired of your silver looking black every time you go to wear it? Store silver in airtight containers. Acid free tissue in a tupperware container is my method of choice!

- Silver is very "people-friendly"- it loves to be worn. The oils on your skin actually help keep it from tarnishing.

- Commercial polishes do a very good job on most sterling- be careful of fast acting "dips" as they can do damage to the surface of your piece if used for too long.

- Want that shiny luster back? A quick bath in lemon juice and a rinse will make copper shine like new.

- Have settings checked periodically to make sure nothing is loose or thinning. Most rings need prong retipping at least every 10 years.

- Be very careful using commercial cleaners around stones. Turquoise, malachite, opal, emerald, lapis lazuli and others can react really badly to chemicals and moisture.  Some will change colour others will crack and still others can fall apart entirely.

- For the most part you need only wipe pearls down with a soft, lint-free cloth after every wear. It helps removed grime buildup. If they are particularly gunky, a moist cloth is okay once in a while.

- Do your best not to get pearls wet. Although they come from the sea they are not big fans of water.

- Check your pearls fairly regularly for sliding pearls or fraying knots. Pearls should be restrung periodically. I recommend every 5 years.

- It is best to store pearls flat in a soft, padded case to avoid scratching and excess wear and tear on the silk.

For more information on pearls and where they coem from please visit our "All about pearls" page.