Jewelry care
To preserve the beauty of your resin jewelry, please follow these care instructions:
Avoid contact with chemicals such as household cleaners, perfumes, hairspray, and other cosmetic products.
Avoid long exposure to sunlight, heat, and extreme temperatures. Do not leave your jewelry on a windowsill.
You MUST remove your jewelry before swimming (pool, spa, or sea water).
Ideally, remove your jewelry before showering or bathing.
Store your jewelry carefully in its pouch when you aren't wearing it.
NO FÉE DU JARDIN JEWELRY SHOULD BE SOAKED IN A JEWELRY CLEANING SOLUTION.
Jewelry Care for Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver, and 10K Gold-Plated Sterling Silver
This guide covers the best practices to maintain the shine and durability of your stainless steel, sterling silver, and 10K gold-plated sterling silver jewelry.
Stainless Steel
Benefits: Stainless steel is known for its durability, resistance to corrosion and scratches, and minimal upkeep. It is also a hypoallergenic material.
Routine Cleaning: Clean with a soft cloth and lukewarm soapy water. Rinse well and dry immediately to prevent water spots.
Deep Cleaning: For more stubborn stains, you can use a paste made of baking soda and water. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly afterward.
What to Avoid: Abrasive products, silver cleaners, and bleach, which can tarnish the surface.
Sterling Silver (925)
Key Feature: Sterling silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals (often copper), making it more durable than pure silver. It tends to tarnish over time when exposed to air, moisture, and certain chemicals.
Routine Cleaning: Use a special silver polishing cloth to remove light tarnishing.
Deep Cleaning: For more pronounced tarnishing, soaking the jewelry in lukewarm water with mild soap and gently scrubbing it with a soft toothbrush can be effective. Specific silver cleaning products are also available, but always rinse and dry your jewelry very thoroughly.
Tarnish Prevention: Store your silver in a dry place, away from air (for example, in an anti-tarnish cloth pouch or an airtight bag). Avoid contact with chlorine, beauty products, sweat, and rubber.
10K Gold-Plated Sterling Silver
Specifics: This material consists of a layer of 10K gold applied over a sterling silver base. The plating is more delicate and less durable than solid gold or stainless steel, as the gold layer can wear off or scratch over time, revealing the silver underneath.
Cleaning: Clean very gently with a soft cloth, either dry or slightly dampened with lukewarm water. Never use chemicals, abrasive cloths, or jewelry cleaners (including those for silver) as they will damage the plating.
Precautions: Avoid all contact with water (showering, swimming), perfumes, lotions, cleaning products, and sweat. Always remove gold-plated jewelry before any physical activity or cleaning.
Storage: Store gold-plated items separately in a soft pouch to prevent scratches from other jewelry.
Common and Essential Tips for All Materials
Avoid Chemicals: Put on your jewelry after you have applied any cosmetic products such as perfumes, hairspray, or lotions. Avoid household cleaners and chlorine.
Remove Before Certain Activities: Always take off your jewelry before showering, swimming, playing sports, gardening, or doing household chores.
Proper Storage: Keep your jewelry in individual pouches or jewelry boxes to prevent scratches and excessive exposure to air.
By following these tips, you'll optimize the lifespan and brilliance of your jewelry.
Annual Care
Here's how to clean your jewelry once a year:
Use a toothbrush reserved exclusively for cleaning your jewelry, and wet it thoroughly with cold water.
Add a tiny drop of soap to the brush. (A gentle dish soap like Dawn or Palmolive Original is recommended).
Gently scrub your jewelry.
Rinse with cold water and let it air dry completely.
Gently rub it with a microfiber or lens cloth.
Context and Importance of Energetic Care
This guide covers the importance of cleansing and recharging semi-precious stones to maintain and strengthen their energetic properties. Stones absorb surrounding energies, both positive and negative, so regular care is essential for them to continue providing their benefits.
Cleansing and Purification Methods
Running Water: Rinse your stones under running water (lukewarm or cold) for a few minutes to remove stagnant energy. Be aware that some stones (e.g., selenite, pyrite, hematite, chalcedony) should not have prolonged contact with water as it can damage them.
Smudging: Use the smoke from white sage or purifying incense to "wash" the stone. This method is gentle and suitable for all stones.
Earth: Burying the stone in the earth for a few hours to several days allows for a deep cleanse and a return to its natural state.
Salt: Submerge the stone in dry salt (coarse salt, Himalayan salt) or salt water. Warning: This method is very powerful but not recommended for many soft or porous stones (e.g., amethyst, opal, turquoise) as salt can erode or discolor them.
Energetic Recharging Methods
Sunlight: Expose stones to direct sunlight for a few hours to recharge them with vibrant energy. Note: Some stones may fade or lose their color with prolonged sun exposure (e.g., amethyst, rose quartz, celestite, fluorite). It’s best to expose them in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is less intense.
Moonlight: Place stones under moonlight, ideally during a full moon, for a gentle, feminine recharge. This method is universal and suitable for all stones.
Geodes/Crystal Clusters: Place stones on an amethyst geode or a quartz cluster. These natural formations can both cleanse and recharge other stones.
Earth: As with cleansing, burying them in the earth also allows for natural recharging.
Visualization and Intention: Meditate with the stone and visualize a white light or positive energy enveloping it to recharge it.
General Recommendations and Precautions
Know Your Stones: It's crucial to know the specific properties of each stone before applying a cleansing or recharging method. When in doubt, smudging or recharging with moonlight or on a quartz cluster are the safest methods.
Frequency: The frequency of care depends on how you use the stone. A stone worn daily or used intensively will require more frequent cleansing and recharging.
Intention: The intention behind each cleansing and recharging action is paramount to maximizing the process's effectiveness.
Following these guidelines will help you better understand stone care practices and identify the right methods for different types of semi-precious stones.
Care for Tung Oil-Treated Wood Jewelry
Tung oil is valued for its ability to protect wood by creating a durable, water-resistant finish that highlights the natural grain. Caring for this type of jewelry is relatively simple but requires a few precautions to preserve its shine and protection.
Regular Cleaning
Gentle Cleaning: Wipe the jewelry with a soft, dry, or very slightly damp cloth to remove dust, fingerprints, or superficial dirt.
Avoid Immersion: Never submerge the jewelry in water and avoid running it under a faucet. While tung oil offers some water resistance, prolonged immersion can damage the wood or weaken the finish.
No Chemicals: Do not use any harsh cleaning products, solvents, alcohol, jewelry cleaners, or abrasive soaps. These can damage the oil finish and dry out the wood.
Protection and Precautions
Avoid Excessive Moisture: Remove the jewelry before showering, swimming, washing dishes, or any activity involving prolonged contact with water.
Protect from Heat and Sun: Avoid direct and prolonged exposure to sunlight or intense heat sources, as this can dry out the wood and cause cracking or discoloration.
Body Products: Put on your perfume, lotions, and hairsprays before wearing the jewelry. Wait for these products to dry to avoid direct contact with the treated wood.
Shocks and Scratches: While the tung oil finish is durable, wood is a natural material. Protect the jewelry from impacts and scratches that could mark the surface.
Re-Oiling (If Necessary)
When?: With time and use, the oil finish can fade, making the wood less protected and duller. If the jewelry looks dry, less lustrous, or begins to absorb moisture, it's a sign that it needs to be re-oiled.
How?: Apply a very thin coat of pure tung oil (or a wax-free wood finishing oil) using a clean, lint-free cloth. Let it penetrate for a few minutes, then wipe off any excess oil with another clean cloth until the surface is dry to the touch and not sticky. Let it dry completely for 24 to 48 hours before wearing it again.
By following these simple tips, your tung oil-treated wood jewelry will maintain its natural beauty and durability for many years.
