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How to Properly Clean and Maintain Your Jewelry

All that glitter, all that gold. When you first purchase your gold ring, your diamond necklace, your platinum bracelet, it shines. But after that first exhilarating period of newness, how do you keep it looking new, even as it grows old? After all, a 14 karat gold piece of jewelry isn’t as easy to replace once it wears out as, say, a vacuum cleaner bag. Because it is so expensive, and because it is so beautiful and sometimes delicate, you must take careful care of your jewelry so that it can remain worth the price you paid for it long after the fact. But how do you take care of your jewelry? I have a few tips.

One of the simplest rules is that perfumes and jewelry, although they may seem to fall into roughly the same category, do not go together. Nor do hairspray and jewelry. They’re all beautifying, but if you use perfume or hairspray while wearing your jewelry, you risk coating it with a film of stickiness, and pearls and organic gems like it can be damaged by the alcohol contained in these sprays. Another simple rule is to avoid swimming in pearls. The chlorine eats away at the pearl and the jewelry will fade.

Chlorine, of course, should never come within range of gold jewelry. It pits the gold and disintegrates the solder joints of a ring.

What about diamonds? Take those rings off before you shampoo your hair, clean the floor, lotion your hands. Diamonds are very attracted to grease. In fact, in diamond mines, beds of grease are used on conveyor belts to keep loose diamonds from being mixed in with the dirt. All that grease contained in makeup, body creams, sunscreen, and so on all adhere to the grease. Also remove your diamond jewelry before getting especially activediamonds are susceptible to impact damage, and might crack or chip.

It’s important to keep your diamonds clean. Now, you can do this yourself often, but you should also have it done professionally around once a year at the least. If you’re doing it yourself, remember to start with some mild soap, a soft toothbrush, and warm water. Or, instead of using soap, you could make your own with one part ammonia and six parts water. Rinse the jewelry in Ethyl Alcohol or tap waterand only those. There are some beliefs out there that it’s a good idea to use toothpaste or rubbing alcohol. Well, it isn’t. Toothpaste scratches gold, and the oil in rubbing alcohol turns diamond jewelry spotted and makes it fade.

When the time comes to get your jewelry cleaned professionally, visit your jeweler. They check for wear in the prongs see if the gem has any damage or needs polishing. It’s necessary to restring pearls now and then to protect against breakage and loss, so the professional jewelry cleaners can do that too.

Jewelry stores tend to have ultrasonic cleaners, which send high frequency sound waves through detergent, which removes grime and dirt from hard to reach places. Safe for most diamonds, ultrasonic cleaners can be hard on softer jewels like sapphires and rubies. But be careful of the ultrasonic cleaners, which can also be purchased for the home, if you have small side stones or loose stones, because the ultrasonic cleaners could shake them loose from their mountings.

If you keep your jewelry clean, whether by following the clean-by-hand, clean-by-professional method or by purchasing your own professional cleaning equipment, it will last longer than if simply left uncared for against your skin. With you taking careful care of them, your jewels will stay as beautiful as though they were new.

Need help locating a Jewelry Store near you? Tips on buying Pearl Jewelry and Estate Jewelry

Finding bridal jewelry to complete your look for the big day can sometimes be a difficult task. You may find that in your searching you see a pair of earrings you like and a necklace, but there is no bracelet. Likewise, you may also find your bridal earrings and bridal necklace but together, the two pieces of jewelry do not match well. This is where the suggestion of pulling your jewelry accessory look together by purchasing an entire bridal jewelry set from one merchant.

When purchasing your entire bridal jewelry set from one merchant or bridal jewelry designer, you will have a more consistent and complete look. Your bridal jewelry will match together because it was designed to be together. What makes bridal jewelry sets even more special is after your big day, many times just wearing your bridal earrings or bridal necklace out for a nice dinner or dancing can bring back all of the special moments and memories that you made on the most important day of your life.

In addition, you will save time and energy by purchasing a bridal jewelry set all at once. There will be no more hunting for the perfect pair of bridal earrings that will match the bridal necklace or bridal bracelet that you have already purchased. Yet another “bonus” to purchasing one bridal jewelry set is you will pay one shipping fee versus paying two to three different shipping fees by ordering your bridal jewelry pieces from various bridal websites and bridal jewelers. Many times you will find that by purchasing your bridal jewelry in a set, you will receive a discounted rate.

To conclude, when purchasing your bridal jewelry sets, keep in mind the overall look and feel you want to have for your special day, this will be reflected in what you wear, as you are the bride and the center of attention for the day. By purchasing a bridal jewelry set, your look will be congruent and gorgeously pieced together. Sit back and take in your day and all of the wonderful compliments it will bring.

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Men grow cold as girls grow old
And we all lose our charms in the end
But square-cut or pear-shaped
These rocks don’t lose their shape
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

– from the movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”

Diamond hoop earrings are perfectly popular these days, thanks to young pop divas like Jennifer Lopez or J-Lo, hiphop diva extraordinaire. J-Lo is also known for spreading the trend of the chandelier earring, and other cascading-style ear ornaments.

Now take another diva and examine her choice of jewelry. We’re talking about actress Elizabeth Taylor and her special fondness for diamonds. When she was dubbed a Dame of the British Empire, the nation held a “black tie and diamonds” event, to commemorate her love for that specific precious stone. Diamond hoop earrings are part of Miss Taylor’s not inconsiderable jewelry collection.

Take hoop earrings up another level and what do you get? Precious stones set into the hoops. What precious stone is considered the most popular, the most prestigious, and the most in-demand throughout the ages? Of course, it is the diamond.

Diamonds are formed over a period of a billion or more years deep within the Earth’s crust - about 90 miles deep - and is pushed to the surface by volcanoes. Most diamonds are found in volcanic rock called kimberlite, or in the sea after having been carried away by rivers when they were pushed to the surface.

Hoops, for their part, come in a variety of thicknesses and sizes. Sometimes they are so fragile as to create cascading earring designs, and at other times they are so thick that you can set stones and other materials into them. Hoop earrings used to be a favorite jewelry style among ancient Central and South American tribes, at a time when gold flowed freely and primarily held only decorative value.

Combine the youthful appeal of hoop earrings and the distinguished status of the diamond and you’ll have an entrancing diamond hoop earring. A small, thick hoop earring made of fine silver or gold may be studded with diamonds. Conversely, a hoop earring may also host even just one diamond, snugly fitted into its metal niche. Diamond hoop earrings are a unique design, pursued and appreciated for their earthly elegance.

Sam Serio is an Internet Marketer, musician and a writer on the subject of jewelry and gemstones. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of “How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off.” This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at www.morninglightjewelry.com.

From pocket watch to a fashion accessory. What was once, in the earliest years of portable watches, considered to be unsuitable for gentlemen and only for women, has developed today into a fashion utensil that everybody has. In the meantime, the wristwatch is no longer just a tool to tell which time it is. It is a designer piece and can indicate much more than the time.

A great deal of mechanics in a small housing

The first verifiable portable timepiece was developed in 1500. This was not a wristwatch, but more of a pocket watch. Through technical advance, which made it possible for people to house mechanics in an increasingly smaller space, the required components of the clockworks were able to be brought into a manageable form. In this way, the first pocket watch was born, which at the time was still the size of an egg.

The computerized wristwatch from Japan

A entirely new wristwatch came onto the market in the 1970’s from Japan, which had built its own watch industry. The new wrist watch from Japan was no longer set on a mechanical basis, but on a computerized control. This wristwatch extended its range of capability rapidly. The watch no longer just showed the time. The tiny timepiece on the wrist now also knew the date, the day of the week and even knew whether a leap year was involved.

The wristwatch as jewelry

Now, the wristwatch is much more than a watch. The wrist watch has turn into a fashion accessory. Wristwatches come in all colors and forms thinkable. One can also buy compatible watches from every fashion collection. The current watches are dominated by the correct fashion trends. Despite these contrary trends, there is something for every taste. The tiny watches, which require glasses to tell the time, and the extravagant huge watches, which make it difficult to walk upright. Anyway, one thing is clear: science is still likely to make so much advance - that the wrist watch will be seen on the wrists of people for a long time, to respond to the question as to what time it is.

We can make diamonds using the Earth’s inner forces, extreme pressure and heat. We simply send Carbon Blocks in tubes, which have been drilled into the Earth’s Mantle. Then let them return under the pressure built up in the tube and you will be able to make diamonds. Why would we wish to make diamonds? We can make diamonds for wealth to pay off our national debt, for nation building or even feeding starving Africans or perhaps poor South Americans in our own backyard?

Besides the obvious economic uses of diamonds for profit, we also can use diamonds as light energy batteries, computer processing with light, energy frequency manipulations and manufacturing. Diamonds are very hard and dense and can assist us for blocking radiation in space stations, cutting and we can still have plenty left over for jewelry; a girls best friend?

How can we drill into that region of Mother Earth? The fact is we already are:

http://geology.rockbandit.net/2005/04/10/drilling-into-the-mantle/

http://www.livescience.com/technology/050407_earth_drill.html

Now we need to send in tubes like the bank teller tubes for the drive up; canisters, which contain blocks of carbon the shapes we need to make diamonds in the sizes and dimensions for our various needs. Shoot them down into the tube with rockets and then wait for them to shoot back out completely “Diamond-ized” and ready to use to serve mankind. Think on this.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

We should be familiar with the BASIC hallmarks mentioned on the website. It might pay you to read them again, just to bring you up to speed and ensure you have grasped the principles. If you have not yet had the chance to read them please go to the website listed below.

Let’s quickly remind ourselves where we should be regarding Hallmarks.

The first three marks mentioned before were:

1: The Makers mark

2: The Assay Office mark

3: The Quality mark

And that brings us to the last mark…

4: The Date stamp.

Please note that more mistakes are made with this mark than any other.

This is caused by two reasons.

The first: because 26 letters can only be used for 26 years (a different one for each year, although they did use italics or capitals for a change). So in order to extend their use, they changed the shape of the stamp mark itself.

One series of 26 years may use a Shield shape, while the next 26 years may use a square shape with the corners trimmed off. Go figure?

And second: because humans being humans, (and contrary to common belief, Jewelers are Human), a manufacturer who lived in Birmingham had to use one shape of stamp, while jewelers in London had to use another shape.

All very good, you say, until a jeweler who USED to live in London went to Birmingham to work and took all his old tools and stamps with him, and couldn’t be bothered (they cost money) to buy a new set. So he used his old set….

Ahhh… Life is never simple.

However; and in general terms, if all else fails use common sense.

As London was the Largest and most common stamp, you may find a Birmingham mark with a slightly wrong date stamp, although the date YEAR mark should be the same.

By using all of the marks together and taking into account the wear and look of the item - plus what it is, you should get fairly close to accurate.

If your still not sure, get a written valuation done with your local professional Jewelry Appraiser, and use that piece of paper as fact.

Even though YOU know, they are going through the same process of ‘Dating’ it’s still a little confusing. Plus it’s not the only form of Dating I get confused with…? And my plastic eyeglass doesn’t help at all….

Look out for these tips next time you’re spying with your eyeglass.

HALLMARKING TIPS #1:

In Circa 1821 the Leopard’s Head Hallmark became ‘Uncrowned’
In Circa 1891 Queen Victoria’s head was no longer used in Hallmarking.
The major point is to use ALL of the Hallmarks, not just the date letter.
Also check the style of an item, as this could give a clue to the period.

HALLMARKING TIPS #2:

As a general rule, Hallmarks should be assessed by going from the ‘Big Picture’ to the ‘Small Picture’ or the particular date in question.

For example: Date the article within a 25 year time span first, as this can be calculated from the overall ‘SHAPE’ or style of the stamp mark (Shield or Oval etc). Then go to the actual ‘Year’ stamp mark.

Remember, these can sometimes be wrong, but if we are in the ballpark, so to speak, we won’t be too far out.

It is interesting to note that the expression ‘Circa’ or ‘c’ actually means ‘around’…

Silver imported into England carried the ‘F’ mark (for Foreign) between 1883 - 1904.

HALLMARKING TIPS #3:

It is helpful if we can remember some of the more important changes to Hallmarking and just how that effected Quality.

For example:
The quality of Hallmarked Gold can give us a clue regarding its age.
Items of 22ct stamped with the ‘Lion passant’ were made up to 1844.
After that date items were stamped 22ct with a ‘Crown’ hallmark.

HALLMARKING TIPS #4:

UKHM stands for the United Kingdom Hall Marks and has been in existence since 1300. Yes… 1300!

The basic marks are:

The Assay Mark which indicated the ‘Guarantee of Quality’.

The Origin Mark which shows WHERE it was Assayed.

The Duty Mark to confirm ‘Tax’ had been paid.

The Maker’s Mark to indicate the company or individual who made the item.

The Date Mark based on the letters of the Alphabet, changing each year.

The Assay year was NOT a Calendar year as it began (as for London) in May. That means it covered TWO Calendar years.

There are several other SPECIAL REPORTS available through our eMail-on-Demand subscription box at the website, so please take some time to visit.

There is a timely warning on Security issues. It’s good advice, plus there is some great tips on Investing in Jewelry, Insurance guidelines and other notes on selling, Hallmarking tips etc, and they are being added to all the time.

And the best bit is they are FREE….

Thank you for taking the time to read this special report. If you thought it interesting, useful or found it helped you in any way I would appreciate your comments via email at the address shown below.

This is my personal email address and I read every comment - good or bad.

Alternatively: why not pass it on to a friend. I’m sure you can think of someone who might benefit from this useful information. Treat it as doing me a big favor. I will certainly appreciate it.

Thank you… As usual take care and watch the road… Kind regards…

P.S. There are many other complimentary Reports available to you at our website, or if you haven’t yet done so, you may like to subscribe to our email-on-demand Newsletters - the Antique Jewelry Guide - full of Hints - Tips - Secrets and Articles in every issue.

P.P.S.
If you administer a website or publish an ezine, please feel free to use this article as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed below. Although it’s NOT compulsory I would personally appreciate it if you could send me an email at: gemmo1@online-jewelry-appraisals.com to let me know if and where you used it. If you need other great content - complimentary of course - then drop me a line at the email address given - ’cause I’ve got Quality Content and Gallons of the stuff….

(c)David Foard - All Rights reserved

David Foard F.G.A.A.

President gemologist/valuer at the Online Jewelry Appraisal Center.

David Foard has spent over 30 years in the Antique Jewelry Trade as a qualified gemologist and member of the Valuers Council. Get a FREE 3 part ‘Hallmarking Report’ on How to Identify your Jewelry Hallmarks at Home or Work by going to ==> http://www.jewellery-antiques.com and grabbing yourself a
fistful of Hints - Tips and Secrets.

gemmo1@jewellery-antiques.com