The jewelry can contain and release harmful heavy metals including the well-known nickel, which can provoke allergic rashes. Particular attention must be paid to the harmful materials if the jewelry is purchased outside the country.
Do you know the rules about nickel in jewelry?
In this country, there are rules for the amount of lead, cadmium, mercury and nickel in jewelry, just as in the other countries there is a directive for nickel. Following the introduction of these rules, the nickel allergy among women has dropped significantly.
Is there nothing to do but throw the jewelry in the trash?
No, unfortunately, there is no miracle cure that can save your jewelry once they have become ugly. At first glance, the advice would be that if you buy counterfeit jewelry, then you have to accept that they can quickly become ugly and that there is not that much to line up. Then the right path is enough towards the trash can. In case of the Black Diamond Rings this is very true.
However, you can try some housewife tricks
To keep the jewelry neat, you can wash them with a soft brush, possibly a toothbrush, and then otherwise add ordinary dishwashing detergent. For some, they also manage to keep the jewelry neat with quite ordinary silver cleaning from the supermarket. You can also try a good polishing cloth to make the jewelry shine again.
Bracelet wash
However, it is important to point out that we cannot guarantee that your counterfeit jewelry can withstand the above treatments, as jewelry can consist of many different materials and surfaces.
Facts
Do not wear your jewelry every day and never take it in your mouth it can be harmful due to the risk of high concentrations of nickel and other harmful materials. Bijouterie jewelry should be thrown away along with other scrap metal.
Pearls
Beads are an organic, living material that only gets more beautiful from being used. Therefore, use your pearls as often as you can and preferably directly on the skin. Your body heat will help keep the pearls ‘alive’ and beautiful but avoid sleeping with them.
So your body heat keeps them alive! Pearls can be natural as well as cultured. Both types require extra careful care to ensure that they retain their noble luster and flawless surface. A pearl can become dull and dull it is said it can ‘die’. To make sure this does not happen, avoid exposing your beads to detergents, perfumes, hair sprays and other cosmetic products as they are all harmful to the mother of pearl. The same goes for sunscreen, chlorine and shampoo. In fact, water is also on the list of harmful agents against your pearls. It may seem a little strange as the beads are soaked in water, but remove them before showering, bathing and cleaning.
Fact
Pearls are formed when a foreign body enters an oyster or a mussel.
Did you know that you should store your pearls in a small velvet bag so that they are not exposed to any kind of acid, impact or other harmful? However, it is important that you do not close them inside an airtight bag, as the organic material of the beads needs to breathe. Read much more about storing your jewelry under the section General storage.
Care of the pearls
To prevent your beads from becoming dull and dull, it is very important that they are regularly cared for and cleaned. You can clean your beads effectively by rinsing them in lukewarm water and polishing them with a soft cloth. However, you must be aware that the cloth must not be impregnated.
As mentioned, pearls are an organic material, which also means that they ‘suck’. This therefore means that the pearl necklace or earrings should be the last thing you put on before you walk out the door.
Do you know the weakest point of the pearl chain?
Surprisingly, the most exposed part of a pearl necklace is actually the silk cord on which the pearls are pulled. It can quickly become tender and the knots can easily become dirty. Therefore, it can be a good idea to have the silk cord inspected by a jeweler and possibly have it re-wrapped once a year – if you use your pearls every day.
Be completely safe
In order not to damage the pearls, then you should buy a real pearl cleaner in a jewelry store if your pearls have become dirty and dull. The cleanser is a clear liquid that dissolves any dirt and grease. The bead cleaner is also available as a spray, which makes cleaning quick and easy.
Enamel jewelry
Enamel allows you to add color to jewelry and metal. The most famous enamel jewelry must be said to be the popular Daisy jewelry also known as the ‘Marguerites’. Their leaves are enameled and available in a myriad of beautiful colors. The enamel on your jewelry is made of glass powder that is heated and melted onto the selected metal.
An enamel of fragile glass
The enamel on, for example, your daisy jewelry is made of glass and should therefore be treated with care the glass enamel cannot be repaired once it has broken. Enamel is shiny and hard, but at the same time also porous. If enamel jewelry is bumped, scratched or dropped, there is a risk that the enamel will crack or break in the same way as, for example, glass or porcelain.
In addition to the enamel, the jewelry will also consist of another material. For example, the daisies’ knob and back consist of either silver or gold-plated silver. As with other gold-plated jewelry and silver jewelry, they will oxidize over time. If the metal has become ugly, luckily there is help to be found.
If your enamel jewelry is very included, you can dip the entire jewelry gently in the silver cleaner. In the picture below you can see our attempt to dip a daisy pendant in silver cleaner. The difference between the cleaned pendant and the oxidized ring is clearly visible. Alternatively, you can use a cotton swab dipped in silver cleaner to clean hooks and individual areas of the jewelry surface. Always remember to rinse well with water.
