Cleaning
your Alpaca Silver Jewelry
is
not a difficult task and with a little time and practice
you will be confident about how to handle this sometimes
delicate jewelry and keep it looking its best for many years to
come.
Alpaca
Silver requires similar care to Sterling silver.
Alpaca
Silver jewelry comes in two main types Plain unplated and Nickel
plated.
The
nickel plated type is finished with a hard wearing nickel coat
that gives the Alpaca metal a brighter more silver like lustre that
does not tarnish and dull as quickly as the unplated alpaca will.
All
Alpaca Silver will over time lose its "silver lustre"
depending how often it is worn, how well it has been stored and how
old it is.
CARE TIPS:
If
possible keep each piece of alpaca silver jewelry separate from one
another.
Do
not throw all your necklaces and earrings into the same jewelry
box/drawer as the stones can be scratched or marked plus you can end
up with a bit of a tangle.
Some
glassy type stones like such as Obsidian can chip on the edges very
easily. Best is to keep each piece in a velvet pouch or in separate
little compartments of your jewelry box.
Good
Tip...........Do not spray perfume on your neck once you are wearing
your necklace and earrings. ( Thanks to Amber for passing that one on
to us)
WASHING:
The recommended method
This
takes a little bit of time to set up but you end up with a great
result, also this is the preferred method for those who have a large
collection of jewelry ( as we all should).
First
mix several drops of dishwashing detergent with a couple of
drops of fresh lemon juice with about 1 cup ( 250ml) of warm
water in a bowl. Then you will need to soak your jewelry for 1-2
minutes NO LONGER. I usually find that 1 minute is all that is
needed. There is no need to rinse. Lay flat on a clean tea towel to
dry.
This
method will work great for all types of Alpaca jewelry ( Note
just be careful...
if you think your item could be damaged
from immersion in water do not
do it! if
this is the case use the method below).
Silver
Cleaning
Cloth:
Modern
technology
is wonderful you can now purchase silver cleaning cloths. I have used
many different brands and they all seem to do the job well. I
also some times use the cleaning creme and have good success to
remove real tough stains on old metal.
Use
the cleaning cloth to polish all the alpaca silver wire, beads
and tubes, BUT be careful not to rub or touch the
stones too much with the cloth as the chemicals in the
cloth can harm some finishes. I find it easiest to put
the necklace or earrings on my left palm and using my right
hand to do the cleaning. Do not rub the cloth too strongly on
the small dangling bits, they may break if you use too much
force. Works great on Nickel plated Alpaca jewelry and
still gives good results on unplated alpaca also.
Stone Care Tip:
Have your stones lost their glossy lustre.
Try this trick, rub a drop of cooking oil onto your fingers and rub
your fingers against the stones, the stone will gain its beautiful
shine again. Wipe and bring to a nice shine with a soft
clean cloth or tissue this will also help remove any excess of oil.
Remember
always clean hooks with an alcohol swab before wearing any new
earrings!
