Jewelry Maintenance Questions You May Need Answered

An antique jewelry collection can contain some of your most prized possession, and it may be exceedingly valuable. However, it is an unfortunate reality that there are many people that lack the knowledge needed to properly clean and care for these items. This can cause them to make errors that might risk ruining their beloved pieces of jewelry. By understanding the following answers for routine jewelry maintenance questions, you should find you are more capable when it comes to keeping your jewelry looking beautiful for years to come. 

Can You Glue A Gemstone Back Onto Jewelry?

As time passes, the gemstones in your jewelry may have started to loosen or they might even fall out. When this problem arises, some individuals may attempt to use household glue to secure the stone back into the jewelry. However, this can be a terrible mistake to make because the glue can permanently discolor the gemstone. 

Many pieces of jewelry use a series of pins to tightly hold the gemstones in place, and these pins may gradually warp. Your jeweler will be able to modify the pins to restore their ability to securely hold the gemstone in place. 

What Can Be Done To Safely Clean Silver?

Unfortunately, the precious metals used in jewelry can start to become discolored as time passes. Often, this occurs because a layer of dirt and skin oils will form on the jewelry, and this is particularly problematic with silver because the light color of the metal makes these substances more noticeable. 

When cleaning your silver jewelry, you should never use conventional household cleaning agents or jewelry cleaning solutions that are not specifically labeled as safe for silver. There is a risk that the silver may react with some of the chemicals in these products, and this may cause the jewelry to turn a green or yellow color. If you want to avoid using harsh chemicals on your silver jewelry, you should use a mixture of baking soda and water to scrub the silver. The baking soda will help wear away any dirt that is stuck to the jewelry without reacting with the metal. 

Keeping your antique jewelry in good condition can be a somewhat confusing task for many people because they are not sure how to address routine problems with these items. Once you understand the risk of using household glue to secure a gemstone in place and how to safely clean your silver items, you can ensure that these prized accessories look great for as many years as possible.

For more information, or assistance with jewelry cleaning, contact a company such as Morgan Sonsthagen Jewelry Design.

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