Skova Jewelry Design

Special care for stones:

 

DIAMOND

Clean lightly brushing it in a bowl of lukewarm soapy water. Rinse thoroughly with cool water and pat dry with a lint-free cloth.

EMERALD & TANZANITE

Emerald & Tanzanite can be soaked and brushed briefly with cool water, we don’t recommend extreme heat or ultrasonic cleaners. Do not expose to harsh cleaning solutions.

PEARL

Wipe your pearls with a damp cloth to remove perspiration, oil, or any other residue. Dry completely with a soft cloth and avoid heat, ultrasonic cleaners, cosmetics and hairsprays. Do not soak in water.

TURQUOISE

Wipe gently with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. Avoid hot water, soaking, chemicals, steamers or ultrasonic cleaners.

LAPIS LAZULLI

Mix mild soap in cool water and wash only as needed then rinse quickly with cool water. Dry thoroughly and avoid hot water or soaking.

OPAL

Keep opals out of extended exposure to sunlight as the heat can dry out the water in opals which can cause hazing or color change.
Special care for metals:

GOLD

The best method for cleaning gold is a jeweler’s polishing cloth. Also warm water and dish soap is good when used with a soft bristle toothbrush. Let the item soak for about 15 minutes then rinse completely.

SILVER

To keep sterling silver from tarnishing, wrap the piece in jeweler’s tissue paper and place it inside a plastic zip lock bag
- To remove fingerprints, light grease, or dirt, add a small amount of mild liquid soap to a half cup of warm water, soak 2-3 minutes, rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry completely before storing in an air tight bag.

CAUTIONS

Be very careful when using any soaking method to clean jewelry that has soft stones such as amber, lapis lazuli, or turquoise. Extended soaking in any solution may harm the polish on the stone. Do not use chlorine bleach to clean any jewelry.
Never use anything except for 100% cotton cloth for polishing jewelry
Always remove your fine jewelry before:
- Using any household cleaning products that contain bleach or any other harsh chemicals. Bleach can cause gold and other metal alloys to breakdown leaving the metal irreparably damaged.
- Putting on lotion, perfume, hairspray, shaving cream, or other beauty products
- Doing laundry
- Going in a swimming pool
- Bathing
Never use toothpaste to clean metal or stones. Although you may have heard that it is an effective cleaner, it is not an accepted practice by fine jewelers. The abrasives in toothpaste are great for your teeth, however they can damage or scuff the surface of the metal or stone.