Care + Cleaning

of your Drifting Winds Studio jewelry

As well, never hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns on how you should clean or care for a piece of jewelry from Drifting Winds Studio. I am always happy to answer your questions and provide information. Visit my contact page for several ways to get in touch!

- Lacy

Solid Silver Pieces of Jewelry

The good news is, the more you wear your silver jewelry, the less it will tarnish!
So, dress up every outfit with layers of shine!

Care -

To prevent tarnish on your pieces of silver jewelry, always store your silver in a zip bag when not wearing. The oxidization process will be significantly slower in the case of always storing your pieces of silver in their zip bags.

Cleaning Options -

Solid Silver pieces of jewelry can be cleaned in a number of ways, and in assessing what your piece of jewelry needs, you can easily choose from my list of cleaning options below. Silver Jewelry will always tarnish at some point, the speed at which it tarnishes is based on many factors.

Washing your silver jewelry -

Washing your silver jewelry is always a great first step, this alone may do the trick if your pieces are simply looking dull. It’s a fantastic way to rid the silver of the oils that our bodies naturally produce, as well, I ALWAYS suggest washing your jewelry after wearing any makeup, lotions, or sunscreen.

I suggest washing your pieces under warm water, with mild hand soap (preferably a natural kind of soap, the less chemicals and scents, the better.) anytime you want, or as a first step to the subsequent options below.

Note: Do make sure you have a strainer in place over your drain before you wash your jewelry off in a sink.

Using a Silver Polishing cloth -

After you have washed your piece of jewelry (and it’s fully dry), a silver jewelry cleaning cloth can be used to buff up the surface and give it a real luster. Simple and effective.

Always read the instructions on the cleaning cloth that you purchase, they are all a bit different in design, but the concept is always the same. Generally a two step rubbing process, one piece of the cloth is more abrasive, and the second is softer, and more gentle.

Using Silver Jewelry Cleaner -

A liquid solution, available for purchase at your local jewelry store, drug store, or larger grocery stores.

This method is a quick and easy way to remove tarnish from intricate, delicate pieces of silver jewelry, or pieces that have a very heavy tarnish on them. Follow the instructions on the container you purchase, and below are some of my tips to keep in your back pocket.

I suggest using a silver polishing cloth over the high points of your pieces, once your piece has been removed from the silver cleaner, and washed, and has had time to dry thoroughly.

Notes:

NEVER put a piece of silver jewelry with Pearls, Mother of Pearl, Opal, Turquoise, or other soft stones into your silver cleaning solution. It creates a chemical reaction with the tarnish on silver to remove it, and will strip your soft stones and pearls of their luster and shine.

Use in a well ventilated area.

There is also a jewelry cleaner specifically made for Gold jewelry, as well as the cleaner specifically made for Silver jewelry. The two are not interchangeable, and can ruin a piece of the opposite kind of metal. At the least, it can cost a lot of time and effort for a jeweler to bring your piece back to it’s original color, and shine. Always take caution to read the description on the container before using.

Mixed Metals with Various Elements

I include in these examples - all styles of my One-of-a-kind pendants, and all of my One-of-a-kind earrings, both containing various elements on the piece of jewelry.

Care -

To prevent tarnish on your pieces of jewelry that have some silver on them, you should always store your pieces in a zip bag when not wearing. The oxidization process will be significantly slower in the case of always storing your pieces in their zip bags.

Cleaning Options -

A bit more care must be taken when cleaning pieces containing multiple elements, and in assessing what your piece of jewelry needs, you can feel more confidant in your choice of cleaning. Any jewelry with (sterling) Silver will always tarnish at some point, the speed at which it tarnishes is based on many factors.

Using a Silver Polishing cloth -

A silver jewelry cleaning cloth can be used to buff up the surface of silver on your mixed metal/element jewelry and give it a real luster. Simple and effective.

• Avoid roughly rubbing any soft or porous stones, like Pearls, Mother of pearl, Turquoise, Etc.

Always read the instructions on the cleaning cloth that you purchase, they are all a bit different in design, but the concept is always the same. Generally a two step rubbing process, one piece of the cloth is more abrasive, and the second is softer, and more gentle. I would suggest using the second part that is less abrasive if you are cleaning near Pearls and such. Do take care, and your pieces will last a long, long time.

Stainless Steel Care -

I use some stainless steel in some of my one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry (this is always described in my description of a product). You can also rub the surface of the stainless to remove finger prints and smudges. The great part about stainless, is that it will not oxidize like silver will.

Please, do not -

I do not recommend cleaning mixed element pieces with soap and water. Harsh detergents can eventually erode or abrade the surface of soft stones. I would rather play it safe than sorry and advise that you steer clear of doing so.

All items that I have available with mixed elements should never be dipped in a jewelry cleaner. Some types of jewelry with mixed elements can be dipped, but not mine.
I always suggest you consult a Jeweler before doing so with other pieces you own, better safe than sorry.