Since my husband seems fond of surprising me with nice jewelry and usually gets the extended warranty coverage, I have to bring alot of jewelry in to our jeweler to be cleaned and inspected (to keep the warranty current) and I got to wondering how often (or do you do it at all?) most people get their jewelry re-finished or cleaned.

My engagement and wedding rings are of white gold (and platinum) and I had to have my diamond band re-finished before the wedding so I gather I'll need to do that about once a year, but never realized they coated white gold with a 'whiter' metal until the jeweler inspected the ring and told me that a month before the wedding. I always thought the other metals were part of the alloy.

I read somewhere that pearls need exposure to light to maintain their luster but I don't recall seeing how much exposure was enough. I guess that means wearing them or at least keeping the jewel boxes open now and then?

I use a cleaner at home on rings/earrings that seems to do a good job but boy when they do my diamond at the jewelers it is so much brighter, it's amazing. I think the jeweler uses steam and I could swear they mentioned 'sonic' the last time I was in. But they can't use either on tanzanite....there is an incredible amount to know about being a jeweler, I think!

[ 11-05-2004, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

Hope this is of some use.

http://www.tipking.com/Beauty_tips/J...aning_jewelry/

The only jewelry I wear daily (and needs cleaning) is silver, and I usually do it myself about once a year... I revisit my old teacher and use her equipment.

Jewelrymaking: Where the obsessive-compulsive, and their jewelry, shine!

Why don't you just brag about it a little more! :D

I don't clean my jewlery to often. It is mostly stirling silver, I don't like gold (or dimands for that matter), crazy I know. With nice jewlery like yours you should do it more.

I don't clean any of my jewelry anymore LOL. I probably should buy at least a cleaner kit. For me I think soap is the worst, as I wash my hands often and I think the soap gets caught in cracks of the stones in my rings (most are cheap stones, but hey I have a couple that are real LOL!). I myself don't like silver, because you have to clean it so much. I had no idea though re pearls, that they could discolor if left in the dark, explains a lot LOL.

I do know though that the same chemicals that make perm solution (for hair) also cleans silver very well. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Instead of cleaning your jewelry, he should buy you new jewelry instead...

Cloudy- Examining your post more carefully, they probably used an ultrasonic cleaner on your jewelry. You can go about obtaining one several ways... You can go to a store like The Sharper Image and get one there, or you can order one from a jewelry supply maker and use the professional model. Take care, however, as several gems can't be cleaned with a machine like that... Tanzanite comes to mind, as do pearls, opals, and amber. When in doubt, research, research, research.

All the jewelry I wear is made out of wood, stones and string. No need to clean it [img]smile.gif[/img] Silver seems to leave blue-green stains on my skin.

Thanks for the link, johhny.
Illumina, thanks for the ultrasonic info! That is what they use at the jewelry store. How do you clean your silver jewelry? I've had trouble finding a cleaner that won't dissolve stones like onyx (I love onxy and silver [img]smile.gif[/img] )and still gets the silver untarnished. And I hear you on the 'research' part! I never would have known about not exposing tanzanite to temperature extremes (changes the stone color!) if I hadn't gone looking for it online and ended up finding a few entries in a jewelers forum on the subject!

Animal! LOL! Well, I guess I'm still a newlywed, cuz I don't mind bragging about what a wonderful guy I married. :D ROTFL!@ the buy more line... HAHAHAHAHAHA! *note: hubby didn't quite ROTFL when he saw your post...he sorta grinned and rolled his eyes "ack,I can hear my wallet moaning already!" [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] *

Thanks Maj, I do have to take it in for professional cleaning twice a year for the warranty to stay good but in between I like to shine them up too. I figure if my husband went to the trouble of buying nice things I should take good care of them! Plus they're purrrrty and shiny... teehee! :D

LZ, I asked about the pearls today and the lady at the jewelry store said that it's the air that they need! So air out your pearls!


Dirty Meg, could the silver be tarnishing when you wear it? That might be where the bluish color comes from.

[ 11-07-2004, 02:43 AM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

I once bought a silver ring from a stall in Camden market, and when I took it off, a few hours later, my finger had a ring shaped blue-green mark which wouldn't wash off. It might be the silver tarnishing, but I would have thought it would take longer than a few hours to do that. I think it could be some kind of allergic reaction.

Cloudy- Since I have two rings that literally never leave my immediate person, they get their fair share of scratches and such... I usually use a buffing and polishing machine for that (looks sort of like a shoe buffer, and not terribly easy to come across), and use the ultrasonic cleaner when I finish with that. For more delicate jewelry, the ultrasonic should suffice... I really don't know that much about steam cleaning.

Meg- Not to insult you, but is it at all possible that, through swindling or mere oversight, you accidentally bought a silver alloy of some kind? Was that the only kind of silver jewelry you ever wore? Metal *does* give allergic reactions in some cases, but I'm wondering if that was the only incident.

Possibly. I don't suppose stalls in markets provide particularly good quality, but every time I wear silver jewelry it leaves a strange mark on my skin.

Has anyone else noted that Nacht appears to be violating the cardinal rules of the International Order of Men, bestowing bejewelled bauble upon gem-encrusted gift to the woman he's sharing his life with? Doesn't he know what this does, changing the bar for the rest of us? I'd just worked my wife down to a kiss on the cheek, and here he is, passing out the glamor and the glitter.

*mutters*

I'm going to call the union on this one, lemmetellya.... ;)

Give him time, he's still a newlywed. :D He'll learn to pace himself soon! [img]smile.gif[/img]

LOL! Aww, now guys, hubby knows I love him even without the pretty shiny things although he's kinda fond of the thankyou's... [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/kissy2.gif[/img]

Dirty Meg, could your silver jewelry have been plated instead of stirling? My husband was saying some people are allergic to the plating but not stirling.

[ 11-08-2004, 09:12 AM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

International Order of Men huh? Dang...do you think they'll make me give back my membership card? :D

Animal's right. It's probably mostly newleyweded-ness. [img]smile.gif[/img] What can I say fellas, I'm deliriously in love, and I like expressing it. Besides, aren't you supposed to do all sorts of silly romantic things in the first years of marriage? Although, as I told Cloudy, I hope I never lose the desire to do the silly romantic things. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Meg...I can totally sympathize with you. I get funky colored rings from gold and silver jewelry. A doctor friend of mine told me that, in most cases, the reason people get funky colored rashes or skin marks is due to electroplating. If you buy anything less than Sterling Silver or 10k Gold, you're usually getting something electroplated and the chemicals that they use are allergically reactive with something like 30-40% of the population. If you have Sterling, and you get the reaction, then you're one of the lucky few who's in the 1/2% or so who are allergic to silver. [img]tongue.gif[/img] If it's the latter, play the Lottery. You're definitely owed something karmically for beating those odds. :D

Actually, Nacht, we just send all the bills for the troubles you cause over to you... :D

You might get a free pass in the first year of wedded bliss... just remember, every time you're buying her another piece of ornamentation, you can get the same mileage out of some flowers, and you don't raise the bar for everyone else. And the flowers can be picked up anywhere... the store... a guy on the side of the road... a cemetery that's close to the exit... [img]smile.gif[/img]

'Cause they talk, you know... first one starts telling her friends about how neat and wonderful and romantic her guy is, and pretty soon, it's making it's way back to the rest of us. And once that happens, we can never win unless we somehow trump every good, smart, and romantic idea you've ever had!

And lest you think that's not your concern, just remember... in seven more months (if my count is close to accurate), you'll have completed your first year, and some other guys is going to start raising the bar for you! :D

But until that year is over, enjoy. *THEN* we'll come and get you [img]smile.gif[/img]

LOL, best not let me talk to your wife then, Bungleau! :D Hubby is always bringing home a rose or 3 and doing sweet things..... sigh...*mushy grin*