Here are the most important tips to keep your jewels in perfect condition. Daily use is the main cause of wearing out jewelry. It is very important to take special care of your jewelry in order to guarantee its perfect appearance.

1. STORAGE

To avoid scratching the jewels, we recommend you to keep them in the original boxes and avoid the contact with other jewels.

2. GENTLE CLEANING

You should clean your gold and silver jewelry with mild soap, a soft brush and warm water. After rinsing off the soap with lots of cold water and drying the piece carefully,your jewelry will look like new again.Gold and silver can show signs of oxidation when they come into contact with air. This reaction can be accentuated as a result of contact with your skin Ph. Consequently, gold may take on a reddish tinge and silver a dark, yellowish shade. To clean your jewelry, either bring it to one of our Aurex stores, or clean it yourself easily by using a soft chamois cloth.

3. DIAMONDS AND GEMSTONES NEED SPECIAL CARE

Avoid hitting them against hard surfaces or subjecting them to extreme temperature changes. The diamond is indeed the hardest jewel, but it is nevertheless fragile; contrary to other gems, diamonds cannot be scratched, but they can break. Rings and bracelets with diamonds and precious gemstones must be handled with special care, because the gems and the settings which hold them undergo continuous, daily use. Gems present characteristics which make them unique and extraordinary. The small variations and inclusions, the tiny traces of other minerals which they may contain, make them exclusive.

4. KEEP ENEMIES AT BAY

Any noble metal is permanently damaged by mercury and therefore all contact with this substance must be avoided. However, should this happen by accident, take the piece urgently to an Aurex store so that the mercury can be removed in the shop and the damage will be minimal. Jewelry that contain crystal and/or enamel gems is especially sensitive to chemical products.

The pearls and corals deserve extra special attention. They are of organic origin and can be easily damaged by cosmetics, hairspray, perfume and cologne. In order to clean them, a wet cotton cloth and a drop of mild soap will suffice.

5. WHITE GOLD

White gold is an alloy of fine gold, palladium and other metals.

Its real color is grey and so it is always necessary to give it a rhodium finish in order to attain its characteristic white color. This rhodium finish which is applied to white gold wears away with time, use and contact.

We suggest taking the piece to our store periodically so that its rhodium finish can be applied again. This way, your white gold jewelry will always looks like new.

6. KEEP AWAY FROM WATER

It is not a good idea to get jewelry with interlaced filament leather or fur wet. In addition, we do not suggest cleaning them with soap and water and it would be much better to have it cleaned by professionals.

7. MAINTENANCE

We suggest having regular inspections made of the gem settings of your jewelry, especially rings and bracelets, as well as re-stringing the strands of your pearl necklaces.

We have a special maintenance service set up at Aurex in order to assure that your jewelry is always in perfect condition.

9. AVOID SELF-REPAIR

Jewelry should never be forced, twisted, snapped or tightened. If you want to make any adjustments or changes, take it to Aurex and our experts will make whatever adjustments may be necessary at our stores.

It’s hard not to be crazy about sterling silver jewelry. Between its luster, its brilliance, and its versatility, it’s easy to see why silver is one of the most popular materials for jewelry.

Still, many of us find ourselves neglecting all the beautiful silver pieces in our jewelry boxes for one simple, annoying reason: tarnish.  When oxygen or sulfur come in contact with silver, they chemically bond to its surface and cause the silver to appear dirty or discolored.  Who wants that?

Fortunately, caring for silver and reducing tarnish is as simple as doing the dishes. All you need is to arm yourself with a few facts about the metal and a few tips and tricks for care and cleaning. With this ultimate guide, you’ll leave ready to start wearing your fabulous silver again with all its shine!

A few things about sterling silver

Knowing a few industry terms will help you understand the physical attributes of your jewelry and how to care for it. The purity of the metal, for instance, determines how malleable the silver is and how quickly it will tarnish:  .950 sterling silver will bend more easily and tarnish more quickly than .925 sterling silver because of its increased purity, so extra caution should be used to take care of .950 silver jewelry.

“Oxidized” is another term used to describe silver. For some works silversmiths intentionally allow parts of the jewelry to darken and oxidize, typically small details, to make them stand out more. This detailing can be lost, though, with excessive cleaning and polishing. So be sure to identify any purposefully oxidized silver bracelets, earrings, rings or necklaces you have and set them aside for separate cleaning.

Preventative care

Wear: You can avoid tarnish by wearing your jewelry often. The oils in your skin will “clean” the silver and keep it looking shiny.

Avoid exposure: Contact with household chemicals, perspiration, rubber, chlorinated water, or any substances which contain sulfur (e.g., mayonnaise, eggs, mustard, onions, latex, wool), will cause corrosion and tarnish — so it’s a good idea to remove silver jewelry when doing household chores. Direct sunlight also causes silver to tarnish, so be sure to take off your silver jewelry before you go swimming and sunbathing.

Lotions, cosmetics, hair spray and hair products, and perfumes are also “enemies” of silver and will accelerate tarnishing. There’s a reason generations of women have been getting dressed with jewelry last, as a finishing touch!

Storage: As exposure to air tarnishes it, storing silver in airtight plastic bags with anti-tarnish strips is a great preventative measure. Just make sure you don’t store multiple jewelry pieces in the same bag: silver is a soft metal, so the individual pieces can scratch each other. Link or chain bracelets should be kept unclasped or unhooked to prevent scratching as well. If you can’t use plastic bags, try to make sure that the storage area has low humidity. You can also place a piece of chalk, a packet of activated charcoal, or a container of silica gel in the storage area to minimize tarnish.

Polishing

Simply polishing your silver works well when the tarnishing is not too severe. It’s also the best method for cleaning oxidized silver, as you can stay away from the intentionally tarnished areas.

Silver is soft and can become scratched easily. You can use a special silver cloth to polish your items, but a lint-free flannel, microfiber, or other soft nonabrasive cloth will do as well. Do not use paper towels or tissues to polish your jewelry as they contain fibers that can scratch the silver.

When polishing, use long back-and-forth motions that mirror the grain of the silver. Do not rub in circles, as this will magnify any tiny scratches. Also, change to a different section of your cloth frequently to avoid placing tarnish back on the silver. You can use a Q-tip to get into small, detailed areas.

Be careful with silver-plated items, as excessive polishing can remove the plating (depending on the thickness) and leave pieces worse than when they started.

Professional care

If your pieces are heavily tarnished and you don’t have the time to clean them, take them to a professional silver cleaner. Very old, fragile, or valuable pieces should also be cleaned by a professional.

What about commercial silver cleaners?

Commercial silver polishes and dips are easy to find and use, but have several serious drawbacks. For one, the vapors from silver polish can cause damage and even be fatal if inhaled in an unventilated room. The powerful solvents in commercial silver cleaners may also require special hazardous waste disposal to avoid contaminating groundwater or causing other environmental harm.

As if these health and environmental concerns weren’t enough, commercial silver cleaners can also actually harm your silver by removing the anti-tarnish coating and valuable patina. Even though cleaners might give a temporary shine, the pieces will tarnish much more quickly and have to be cleaned more frequently once you have broken down the surface.

Homemade silver cleaner

For cases when the polishing cloth isn’t enough to remove tarnish, you can make your own economically- and environmentally-friendly silver cleaner using ingredients from your kitchen.

It should be noted, however, that silver cleaners are not for all types of silver jewelry. You should not, for instance, ever immerse jewelry adorned with pearls or opaque gemstones (e.g. turquoise, opal, carnelian, onyx), as this could seriously damage these softer stones. (Give these pieces a very brief rinse if they become too dirty.)

Even for jewelry with clear gemstones (e.g. blue topaz, amethyst, garnet), take special care when using a silver cleaner: the chemicals could lodge under the gemstone settings or loosen any glue. And remember, do not use silver cleaners on your oxidized jewelry — stick to the polishing cloth instead.

After using any cleaner, be sure to thoroughly rinse your silver with running water or a clean, damp cloth. This is especially important for detailed or etched items, since polish can stick in small crevices and harden. After, dry the pieces with a microfiber cloth to prevent white water spot stains from forming.

Soap and water: Warm water and a mild, ammonia- and phosphate-free dishwashing soap should be your first line of defense if the polishing cloth fails to remove tarnish. Soap and water should also be used to clean your pieces before using any of the methods listed below.

Baking soda and water: You might have heard that a non-whitening, non-gel toothpaste can be a good substitute for commercial silver cleaners, but nowadays these basic toothpastes are hard to find or distinguish from the toothpastes that will discolor your silver. Instead, make a paste of baking soda and water and use a clean cloth to apply a pea-sized amount to the silver and polish. For etched, stamped or detailed items, thin the paste with more water and use a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush to get the cracks and crevices. Run the silver piece or pieces under running warm water, and dry with a clean cloth.

Olive oil and lemon juice: Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice with 1 tsp. olive oil in a bowl large enough to hold the cleaning solution and a small microfiber cloth. Dip the cloth in the solution and wring it out so that it doesn’t drip, then polish the silver, rinse, and dry.

White vinegar and baking soda: Use this gentle cleaner to remove heavy tarnish that’s preventing you from polishing your silver. Soak the tarnished piece in a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tbsp. baking soda (be prepared for the fizzing!) for two to three hours, then rinse and dry.

Baking soda, salt, aluminum foil, and boiling water: You can take advantage of a simple chemical reaction to clean your silver: all you’ll need is some baking soda, salt, and aluminum foil. Line a glass roasting pan or the kitchen sink with aluminum foil, dull side facing down. Place the silver pieces on top of the aluminum foil. Then pour boiling water over the pieces until they are covered and add 2 tbsp. each of baking soda and salt. Stir the solution to allow the baking soda to dissolve — you don’t want any granules scratching the metal.

The reaction causes the tarnish to transfer to the foil, and in about 5-10 minutes you’ll see the tarnish “magically” disappear from the jewelry. (Be prepared for the smell of rotten eggs, though, as the sulfide tarnish comes off the silver.) Using salad tongs or nitrile gloves (not rubber gloves, which contain sulfur), remove the silver jewelry from the hot water or drain into a colander. Rinse the jewelry with water, then dry and buff with a soft cloth. Voila! Your silver should be sparkling clean and ready to keep you looking fabulous.

Combination: If your pieces have very stubborn tarnish, you can use these treatments in succession to get them looking shiny again.

A fresh start for your jewelry

Well-cared-for silver jewelry can give you many years of pleasure and enjoyment and even become family heirlooms. And, of course, silver is valuable. So don’t wait until tarnish has become so bad that you forget about your silver treasures or even get rid of them. Give your jewelry a fresh start today!

With the new range of 5 Karat gold jewellery in our shops, we share the following jewellery care and maintenance tips.  This list is not all exhaustive and only provides guidelines to help keep your precious 5k gold jewels looking new as ever.

To reduce tarnishing of five karat (5k) gold jewellery, we advise as follows:

• Storage
• The product can be stored in a plastic bag or in a jewellery case.
• Before storing it in zip lock bag make sure that you squeeze out all the air before sealing the bag as availability of air can result to oxidation then tarnishing.
• Put anti-tarnish strips which suck up any moisture that exist in the plastic bag.
• Chemicals
• Keep your five karat (5k) gold jewellery from direct contact with perfumes.
• Do not expose your 5kgold jewellery to the chemicals such as a detergents and nail polishes and so on.
• Take-off the jewellery when swimming or bathing, to avoid the chemical changes caused by contact with this water.
• Cleaning
• To clean dust and dirt, use neutral detergents to soak your jewellery.
• Clean your jewellery with gold polishing cloth (flannel) recommended by the supplier or a professional jewellery manufacturer.
• Get your 5k gold jewellery renewed by the professional jewellers.