Care & Cleaning

Precious metals and gemstones require special cleaning and care. Individual care instructions are included on an information sheet for each piece of jewelry by Creations from Paradise. Following is information relating to precious metals and specific gemstones. Precious Metals: Silver will tarnish and gold will oxidize with exposure to air. This can be minimized by storing silver and gold jewelry sealed in a plastic bag. Never use abrasive silver or metal polish on precious metal jewelry and never, never use toothpaste; it will wear away some of the metal. Tarnish or oxidation may be removed with a special jewelry polishing cloth, or by cleaning in an ionic or ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Be careful, the ultrasonic cleaners are not safe for all gemstones. Gemstones: Amber: Amber is a soft stone and should be treated with care. It is sensitive to acids, caustic solutions, alcohol, perfume, and gasoline. Amber should not be cleaned ultrasonic jewelry cleaners. Lapis Lazuli: Lapis lazuli is sensitive to strong pressure and high temperatures, hot baths, acids and alkaline. It should not be cleaned in ultrasonic jewelry cleaners. Malachite: Because malachite is soft, it is easily scratched and should be worn with care. Malachite is sensitive to heat, acids, ammonia, and hot waters. It should not be cleaned with chemical agents or in ultrasonic jewelry cleaners. Pearls: Extreme dryness is damaging to pearls and can lead to aging. Pearls are also sensitive to acids, perspiration, cosmetics, and hair spray. They can be easily scratched since they have a low hardness; they should be stored so as to not come into contact with metal or other gemstones. Pearls should not be cleaned in ultrasonic jewelry cleaners. Turquoise: Because turquoise is a hydrous or "wet" rock, turquoise should be protected from sunlight and heat. The color of turquoise can change if the stones are heated. A negative change in color can also be brought about by the influence of light, perspiration, oils, cosmetics, and household detergents, and chlorine. Care should be taken to protect natural turquoise from sunlight, heat, light, perspiration, oils, cosmetics, household detergents, and chlorine. Contact us  for care and cleaning information on gemstones not specifically mentioned here.

Recipe for Cleaning Tarnished Silver

Tarnish is a chemical reaction where sulfur combines with silver and causes oxidation. Never use an abrasive silver polish or toothpaste to remove tarnish; this will actually remove metal from the jewelry and cause it to wear out over time. The cleaning method described below avoids this problem as it reverses the chemical reaction, removing the oxidation and leaving the silver intact. Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a glass casserole dish or bowl; add about 2-3” of warm water and 1 tablespoon Arm & Hammer washing soda. An alternative mixture is 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix well until the solid ingredients dissolve in the water. Place your silver jewelry in the water, making sure the silver makes contact with the foil. Immerse your silver jewelry in the water for 15-30 minutes; rinse well and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. For stubborn deep tarnish, repeat the application using a new solution mixed with warmer water. Of course, it’s not recommended to immerse a watch. Other gemstones which are not recommended for this method are pearls, turquoise, coral, malachite, lapis lazuli, amber, and other soft gemstones. To slow the tarnishing process of sterling silver, store cleaned jewelry in a sealed plastic bag with a strip of anti-tarnish paper. It’s said that jewelry tarnishes less if worn often! I've certainly found this to be true. Enjoy your bright and shiny silver jewelry!!! Disclaimer:  Creations From Paradise, Inc. makes no express or implied warranties regarding, and assumes no responsibility or legal liability for, the use or safety of this cleaning method, or any injury or damage resulting therefrom.