Sterling Silver Jewelry Maintenance and Care – How to Clean your Sterling Silver Jewelry to Keep it Shiny and Lusterous

Posted on 28th April 2009 by admin in Silver jewelry | Tags: , , , ,

Cleaning new sterling silver jewelry has sometimes The first important step for keeping silver jewelry bright is preventing the tarnish in the first place. While rarely discussed, learning how to prevent tarnish will save hours of cleaning time later on. You should remove all sterling silver jewelry when applying perfumes, hair spray, lotions, and similar items. Try to avoid staining your jewelry with make-up, foods, and drink. If you do stain your jewelry with the above, rinse immediately with water and soap (mild, phosphate free preferably). Avoid strong chemicals, such as those found in hair coloring and dyes; these can tarnish silver instantly. Removing your jewelry when you bath or swim may or may not be necessary; just rinse with soap and water afterwards to clean off any residual chemicals.

The most common cleaning method for sterling silver jewelry is to use a soft polishing cloth on pieces you frequently wear. This helps remove any dirt or oils that may get on your jewelry through contact with skin and the environment. A soft non-abrasive cloth will work, or visit a jewelry store to purchase chemically treated polishing clothes especially designed for jewelry polishing. The frequency of such cleanings will vary with each person, but the hard and fast rule is to wipe the piece anytime you feel the shine is looking dull or before you store the piece away for an extended period.

Silver jewelry that won’t be worn for a while must be sealed in a plastic or cloth bag to minimize exposure to oxygen, humidity, and damage.

For a more thorough cleaning, detergents can be used. One method is to place a few pinches of baking soda or other mild non-phosphate detergents on your jewelry, then wash with mineral free water by either rubbing with fingers or using a soft cloth. Scrubbers or soft tooth brushes may be used for a deeper cleaning only if necessary, since they may scratch the surface and dull the jewelry’s luster.

There are also chemical cleaners available, but repeated use of liquid cleaners can result in discoloration overtime, therefore, such cleaners should only be used sparingly and only when other methods of cleaning fail.

When cleaning with any of the methods listed here, avoid directly cleaning any gemstones or you will dull the polish overtime.

Learn more about Sterling Silver Jewelry by visiting the import and wholesale jewelry knowledge center of Wholesale of Asia at http://wholesaleofasia.com/, where you’ll find a diverse and unique selection of Wholesale Jewelry such as Sterling Silver, Precious Stone, Pearl, Jade, and much more, all at a low cost and imported directly from manufacturers worldwide. By working with manufacturers and retailers to produce fresh and trendy new designs, Wholesale of Asia helps businesses get an edge over competition and increase their bottom lines.

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The Benefits of Buying Silver Jewelry Over Gold

Posted on 27th April 2009 by admin in Gold jewelry | Tags: , , , ,

Silver jewelry is simple but beautiful and has been worn for many years by all different types of people. Its low cost is one feature that makes it so attractive to jewelry buyers. Silver jewelry cost considerably less than gold jewelry and the price difference between white gold and silver is even larger. Many of those individuals who enjoy white gold also enjoy silver and for those on a budget this is often the alternative choice in jewelry.

You can expect the price difference between gold jewelry and silver jewelry to be quite drastic. Often you will pay as much as four to five times less for silver jewelry than you would gold jewelry. It should also be pointed out that silver jewelry is easier to wear casually as well.

Silver can go beautifully with the fanciest of dresses or gowns or it can be work with jeans or a simple sun dress. While gold can also be worn either way silver seems to look less tacky when worn casually than gold does.

Silver also has a tendency to enhance almost any skin tone. Gold tends to drowned own the color of skin and make it appear light where as silver makes the skin appear darker and healthier.

Another great thing about silver is that since it is used for jewelry making in so many different cultures you can find pieces in a variety of different styles. This makes for great selection whether your buying the jewelry piece for yourself or for someone else.

Silver jewelry is also very durable and tough although not quite as strong as stainless steal it isn’t very far off. It’s durability comes from the addition of copper. There isn’t much copper added to the mixture but just enough to make the jewelry stronger. Silver without this additional material would be too soft to make jewelry from and the pieces would not last as long as they do with the addition of the copper.

The only slight downfall to purchasing silver jewelry rather than gold or white gold jewelry is that it requires a bit more care in order to keep it looking its best. This is because silver has a tendency after a long time to darken and tarnish. Although some jewelry pieces surprisingly are enhanced by this evidence of aging others may not be.

By keeping silver jewelry polished and cleaned you may be able to prevent this from happening. In the event, though, that your silver jewelry does become tarnished you can follow a simple process to make homemade silver tarnish remover or you can also purchase premade tarnish remover such as Tarn-X. Either way works well but homemade tarnish removers don’t contain any harsh chemicals that may make your skin break out.

The benefits of buying silver jewelry over gold go above and beyond the one downfall. That’s why silver has been being enjoyed for so many years and will continue to be enjoyed for many years to come.

Baby Gift Ideas With Different Gift Baskets

When you know somebody who just had her baby, it is natural to think of getting the cute pair some gifts that they will truly cherish. Who hasn’t heard of new moms getting duplicates or even several versions of the same trinket or stuffed toy? Why not check out giving a creative idea for a baby gift like a gift basket with a fun theme?

There are a lot of disarming themes for a baby gift basket. Of course, the well-crafted gift basket theme is a careful formula that has both the baby and the new mom in mind. In the beginning though, there are the many different likes and tastes that either needs to be forgone or to be pleased. To sum up, gift baskets are not only a fun way to wrap up several gifts but are also a fantastic way to give anyone lots of little goodies to go over instead of just one bulky package. See if you can find any of the following from your favorite baby gift store.

Organic Baby Gift Basket. Many mothers are resorting more and more to organic products for their babies. For example, there is now a significant demand for organic cotton clothing for infants and diapers. Meanwhile, organically made bath and grooming products are also ideal. A good idea in the case of this baby gift basket is to fill it with small quantities of organic baby food products which a new mom would want to try out first. And for good measure, don’t forget to add a book about going organic as a great crash course to the organic lifestyle should the new mom want more information.

Baby Toys Gift Basket. A happy baby leads to a happy mommy, and moms usually can’t stop looking for ever new ideas how to help their baby to have fun by being active. Lots of plush and stuffed toys out there are perfect hitchhikers for that baby toys basket. Aside from animal figures, try putting on the basket a mobile and toys that will keep the adorable baby occupied.

Baby Books Gift Basket. Getting the child to develop a love of books and reading at an early age is one big needed boost in his education. In fact, children that develop the natural love for reading gain more confidence when it comes to school and learning. Bill Clinton even supported this idea in saying that “Readers are leaders.” Do some research about what are popular with babies and moms today; titles available in board book edition are worth checking out. Aptly named, board books are a hardy bunch that can withstood countless tossing or chewing or anything that a baby does to anything it lays its hands on. Some popular baby books tested already by decades of dedicated following are Goodnight Moon, Green Eggs and Ham, or Where the Wild Things Are. Count on these literary classics being available at some good baby gift store.

Pampering Mom and Baby Gift Basket. The pregnancy was one exciting and very draining moment, so both mom and  baby will look for some treat after all that stress. But we all know that some moms will not hesitate to think last of their own concerns; around the time of the pregnancy they will be absent minded when it comes to taking care of their own needs. So a gift basket filled with little treats for the pair will send the new mom a signal that you are concerned about her too.

Only a few ideas you could give her are a gift certificate to a spa, some exclusive chocolate brand or a good romance novel. As for the new member of the family, the baby would certainly have a good night’s sleep right after a getting some soothing baby lotion. Some recommendable nighttime baby lotions include those with lavender or chamomile scents. A CD of lullabies is welcome too. And why not a handwritten note promising to babysit on any day to be selected by the mom is really more than welcome!