How to take care of brass jewelry?
Proper maintenance and care are extremely important for any fine jewelry. These methods can help you maintain your jewelry so that it remains in its full glory and beauty for as long as possible 🙂
WHAT IS BRASS?
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; quantities vary depending on the characteristics makers want to achieve. It has good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Over time, it natural way it gets a darker color, like old gold. Therefore, it is important to know how to maintain brass jewelry and other pieces, and to refresh its color over time (if you want it, because many people love that rustic color). Copper will usually turn a darker brown or often green. Polishing cloths or homemade vinegar/lemon scrubs are usually a great way to clean the patina and may require frequent cleaning as opposed to sterling silver.
Here are 4 tips on taking care of brass jewelry and preventing them from getting tarnish.
(These will make your jewelry last longer before tarnish.)
- Store your jewelry in a clean, dry and airtight container. Keep pieces separate from one another.
- Keep it away from a moist environment such as the bathroom. Humidity and moisture can speed up the tarnishing.
- Silica gel packets that are usually found in shoe boxes, inside newly purchased coat or pocketbooks are helpful in keeping a dry environment for your jewelry. Just insert one packet in your jewelry box.
- If you can’t find a silica gel, chalk is a good alternative in absorbing moisture in the air or inside a jewelry box. Just keep one or two pieces and replace them at least once every 2 or 3 months.
HOW TO POLISH BRASS JEWELRY
- Soap and Water: a classic method.
The easiest to way to clean brass jewelry is with soap and warm water. Prepare a solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid soap (just a tad) to begin. With your fingers or a soft-bristled toothbrush, start by applying the soapy water by rubbing or brushing the jewelry. And when finished rubbing, rinse carefully with tap water until the water runs smoothly but without the slippery soap feel. Dry the jewelry by patting gently with a clean soft cloth, thoroughly dry as not to leave any watermark.
- Polishing
With all brass jewelry, that you buy from me, you will get one polishing cloth. When it will become dirty, you can find a new one in jewelry stores, or on-line, or you can buy alternative like cloth for polishing inox in some better stores.
How to take care of silver jewelry?
Proper maintenance and care are extremely important for any fine jewelry. These methods can help you maintain your jewelry so that it remains in its full glory and beauty for as long as possible 🙂
With a little time and effort your Ayelen pieces will last you a lifetime.
- AVOID WATER
Pure water is great for silver, but most of the water we are exposed to today is very unclean, full of chemicals, and can harm your silver jewelry and give it a gray appearance. The bigest danger is chlorine, which is very aggressive and harmful to silver.
Therefore, I recommend removing your silver jewelry before taking a shower, swimming in the pool, going to the sauna. Chemicals in lotions and perfumes can also cause damage to jewelry. Apply them first, let them dry, then put on the jewelry.
- KEEP YOUR FINE JEWELERY SEPARATELY IN BOXES
Only by exposing the air the silver jewelry can damage nearly as much as you wore it. Don’t just leave it lying on a table or in an open jewelry box, and don’t leave silver jewelry in your purse or drawer without some protection!
MY RECOMMENDATION is that you never put a number of different types of jewelry together in the jewelry box to save space and boxes, because you risk damage, especially for jewelry with crystals. Store your fine jewelry separately, each piece in it’s box.
CLEANING OF SILVER JEWELRY:
- POLISH YOUR SILVER
As much as you try and look after it, your silver will eventually get patina, because that is its nature. If this patina bothers you and you want to remove it, you can (wipe) polish your jewelry with microfibre cloths or a special jewelry cloth. With all jewelry, that you buy from me, you will get one polishing cloth. When it will become dirty, you can find a new one in jewelry stores, or on-line, or you can buy alternative like cloth for polishing inox in some better stores.
Focus on performing long up and down movements while wiping your jewelry. Be careful not to use circular movements when cleaning, as this can damage and further blur your silver. Be sure to avoid the polishing of any piece of jewelry that is intentionally oxidized and is an integral part of the product design, and especially be careful of the part where the stone is located (if you have such a piece of jewelry.)
