Six months ago, my younger sister married her best friend in a beautiful, church ceremony. I was one of the four bridesmaids in her wedding. The bridesmaid dresses were short and black. The shoulders and backs of the dresses were made out of black lace. Because my sister’s color scheme was red and black, she decided to purchase all of her bridesmaids a gorgeous, ruby necklace to wear with their black dresses. These sterling silver necklaces contained ruby beads and crosses made out of white topaz stones. On this blog, I hope you will discover the best kinds of ruby jewelry items to buy the bridesmaids in your upcoming wedding. Enjoy!
If you've just bought some chain maille jewelry, you know that the intricate design deserves good care. This does not necessarily require special equipment, though. Taking the time to clean the jewelry properly and put it away in a protective environment can go a long way toward keeping the pieces in good shape. Take these relatively quick steps when caring for your jewelry to avoid a lot of future problems.
Blow-Dry Your Jewelry
Whether you use a basic soap-and-water recipe or douse the jewelry with a commercial cleaner, you don't want to leave the jewelry wet for a prolonged time. Because chain maille jewelry can have such intricate designs, though, it's easy for water to become trapped in between the rings, causing corrosion. After you rinse off the piece, gently pat it dry with a clean cloth or paper towel, and then blow-dry the piece. Use a relatively cool or low setting, but run the hair dryer air stream all over the jewelry, making a point to get those little crevices and bundles of rings.
Scrub With a Soft Toothbrush
Just as those crevices can catch and hold water, they can also trap cleaning solutions like baking soda or soap. Take a soft-bristled toothbrush -- do not use medium or hard bristles as they might scratch surface finishes -- and gently sweep all around the piece of jewelry, getting in between all of the rings before you give the piece a final rinse.
No Chlorine
Chlorine can cause different metals to discolor, which obviously affects how the jewelry looks. Remove all chain maille jewelry before swimming or using cleaning products containing chlorine. If you're even going to sit next to a chlorine-disinfected pool, remove the jewelry to protect it from splashes of water when someone cannonballs into the pool.
Keep Dry Jewelry Separated and in Small Bags
Once the jewelry is dry, keep each piece in its own small plastic bag. This will protect it from small scratches that could occur when other jewelry touches the piece. A small zippered bead bag can work for smaller pieces, while snack- and sandwich-sized bags work for larger pieces.
More specific care instructions depend on the specific metals used in the jewelry. Talk to the person who made the piece, or if you bought it from a store or online, talk to the sellers about which metals were used and any cleaning advice the sellers might have.
For more help, contact a business like Bead Me a Story.
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