Melody Armstrong Jewellery is hand-fabricated and requires proper care and attention.
Ensure that you remove your jewellery when washing your hands and putting on lotions or perfume.
Take your regular activities into account when choosing your jewellery.
Avoid wearing them in the shower, swimming, exercising, doing housework or gardening.
Oxidized silver is affected by wear, moisture and oils in the skin and will fade over time.
Take extra care to keep these pieces dry to extend their finishes.
When not wearing your jewellery it is best kept in individual airtight bags or containers to prevent tarnish.
*Oxidized rings will change in appearance, especially with daily wear. You may notice the oxidized silver wearing off in the high areas over time causing a patina that is unique to the piece. For best results, remove rings when washing hands, showering and swimming. Detergents and soaps will remove the oxidation.
SILVER CARE
Shiny Sterling Silver can be cleaned with a jewellery cleaning cloth.
Sterling Silver with a Patina can be washed in mild soap and water, and dried with a soft cloth.
It can also be cleaned with a gentle jewellery cleaning cloth just rubbing the high spots and edges.
PATINA
Patina is a process used on Sterling Silver to create a sulfide layer. Using Potassium Sulfide dissolved in hot water, and dipping the jewellery piece, a full spectrum of colors develop from gold to purples and blues to a matt black, depending on how long it is in the solution.
These colored oxide layers are used to produce contrast and to enhance surface textures. Then the piece is sanded or burnished, leaving the colors in the low spots and exposing the shiny silver on the high points. This process produces rich and alluring jewellery pieces.
TRUE BRONZE
[90% copper 10% tin]
Shiny Bronze can be cleaned with a jewellery cleaning cloth.
Bronze is an alloy made of copper and tin, has a lovely warm golden color, and is an affordable alternative to 10 or 14k gold.
Bronze is durable, easy to clean, and will last for decades with proper care. And is a great option for beautiful and affordable jewelry.
One thing to keep in mind, the copper content of bronze can oxidize in combination with skin oils, creating a greenish layer of copper carbonate on skin.
This more often can occur with tight rings worn in hot weather, because of the lack of air circulation between your finger and the ring.
An easy fix is to coat only the inside of your piece with clear nail polish. This creates a barrier, preventing oxidation.
You can also minimize oxidation by taking your jewelry off at night and keeping it clean.
Bracelets have air circulation between your wrist and the bracelet, so should have minimal to no oxidation.
Bronze pendants worn over your clothes won't oxidize because they aren't in contact with your skin oils.
Like sterling silver, bronze will tarnish over time. I recommend cleaning with a jewellery polishing cloth.
ANODIZED TITANIUM and NIOBIUM
Titanium and Niobium are reactive metals that have the unique properties of developing colored surface films when charged with small voltages of electricity through an electrolyte bath.
The reactive metal develops an oxide film of consistent, specific and uniform thickness. Once formed this film is inert and tends to remain unchanged.
The oxide film is incredibly thin, at any given voltage the film will grow to a specific thickness and stop. The different voltages are what determine the color.
Anodized Titanium and Niobium will change color from fingerprints and oils. You can remove these oils with soap and water and then dry with a soft cloth.
The reactive metals will return to their original vibrancy.
ENAMEL
Is fused glass on metal and is fragile.
Be careful not to drop and avoid knocks to prevent cracks in the enamel surface.
STEEL COMPONENTS
It is important to keep the jewellery with steel dry to prevent rust formation.
PEARLS
The pearls most of us wear today are cultured pearls, their existence initiated by humans who insert a bead or other object into an oyster or clam. The clam coats the foreigner with nacre, the patina that gives pearls their unique appearance.
The depth of the nacre coating depends on the type of creature involved, the water it lives in, and how long the intruder is left in place before it is removed. As nacre thickness increases, so does the quality and durability of the pearl.
Caring for Your Pearls:
Even cultured pearls with thicker coatings are more fragile than most other gemstones, so you must handle them carefully to keep them in the best condition.
•Your pearls will stay cleaner if you put them on after you've applied your makeup and perfume.
•Be sure to take off your pearl rings before you apply hand and body creams.
•Wipe your pearls with a soft, lint-free cloth as soon as you take them off. The cloth can be dampened with water or it can be dry. If damp, allow the pearls to air dry before putting them away.
•Dirty pearls can be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution (try Ivory flakes).
•Never clean your pearls with solutions that contain ammonia or harsh detergents.
•Don't put pearl jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner.
•Don't use abrasive cleaners or rub pearls with abrasive cloth. Both can wear away the nacre coating, leaving you with a plain looking bead.
Storing Pearls
Don't store your pearls with other jewelry, because they can be scratched easily when metal or gemstones rub against them. Find a special slot in your jewelry box for the pearls, or keep them in a soft bag made from chamois or another non-abrasive material.
*Only clean the bright silver areas with a polishing cloth, do not use on the patina areas.
*All chain and ear wires are sterling silver.
Ensure that you remove your jewellery when washing your hands and putting on lotions or perfume.
Take your regular activities into account when choosing your jewellery.
Avoid wearing them in the shower, swimming, exercising, doing housework or gardening.
Oxidized silver is affected by wear, moisture and oils in the skin and will fade over time.
Take extra care to keep these pieces dry to extend their finishes.
When not wearing your jewellery it is best kept in individual airtight bags or containers to prevent tarnish.
*Oxidized rings will change in appearance, especially with daily wear. You may notice the oxidized silver wearing off in the high areas over time causing a patina that is unique to the piece. For best results, remove rings when washing hands, showering and swimming. Detergents and soaps will remove the oxidation.
SILVER CARE
Shiny Sterling Silver can be cleaned with a jewellery cleaning cloth.
Sterling Silver with a Patina can be washed in mild soap and water, and dried with a soft cloth.
It can also be cleaned with a gentle jewellery cleaning cloth just rubbing the high spots and edges.
PATINA
Patina is a process used on Sterling Silver to create a sulfide layer. Using Potassium Sulfide dissolved in hot water, and dipping the jewellery piece, a full spectrum of colors develop from gold to purples and blues to a matt black, depending on how long it is in the solution.
These colored oxide layers are used to produce contrast and to enhance surface textures. Then the piece is sanded or burnished, leaving the colors in the low spots and exposing the shiny silver on the high points. This process produces rich and alluring jewellery pieces.
TRUE BRONZE
[90% copper 10% tin]
Shiny Bronze can be cleaned with a jewellery cleaning cloth.
Bronze is an alloy made of copper and tin, has a lovely warm golden color, and is an affordable alternative to 10 or 14k gold.
Bronze is durable, easy to clean, and will last for decades with proper care. And is a great option for beautiful and affordable jewelry.
One thing to keep in mind, the copper content of bronze can oxidize in combination with skin oils, creating a greenish layer of copper carbonate on skin.
This more often can occur with tight rings worn in hot weather, because of the lack of air circulation between your finger and the ring.
An easy fix is to coat only the inside of your piece with clear nail polish. This creates a barrier, preventing oxidation.
You can also minimize oxidation by taking your jewelry off at night and keeping it clean.
Bracelets have air circulation between your wrist and the bracelet, so should have minimal to no oxidation.
Bronze pendants worn over your clothes won't oxidize because they aren't in contact with your skin oils.
Like sterling silver, bronze will tarnish over time. I recommend cleaning with a jewellery polishing cloth.
ANODIZED TITANIUM and NIOBIUM
Titanium and Niobium are reactive metals that have the unique properties of developing colored surface films when charged with small voltages of electricity through an electrolyte bath.
The reactive metal develops an oxide film of consistent, specific and uniform thickness. Once formed this film is inert and tends to remain unchanged.
The oxide film is incredibly thin, at any given voltage the film will grow to a specific thickness and stop. The different voltages are what determine the color.
Anodized Titanium and Niobium will change color from fingerprints and oils. You can remove these oils with soap and water and then dry with a soft cloth.
The reactive metals will return to their original vibrancy.
ENAMEL
Is fused glass on metal and is fragile.
Be careful not to drop and avoid knocks to prevent cracks in the enamel surface.
STEEL COMPONENTS
It is important to keep the jewellery with steel dry to prevent rust formation.
PEARLS
The pearls most of us wear today are cultured pearls, their existence initiated by humans who insert a bead or other object into an oyster or clam. The clam coats the foreigner with nacre, the patina that gives pearls their unique appearance.
The depth of the nacre coating depends on the type of creature involved, the water it lives in, and how long the intruder is left in place before it is removed. As nacre thickness increases, so does the quality and durability of the pearl.
Caring for Your Pearls:
Even cultured pearls with thicker coatings are more fragile than most other gemstones, so you must handle them carefully to keep them in the best condition.
•Your pearls will stay cleaner if you put them on after you've applied your makeup and perfume.
•Be sure to take off your pearl rings before you apply hand and body creams.
•Wipe your pearls with a soft, lint-free cloth as soon as you take them off. The cloth can be dampened with water or it can be dry. If damp, allow the pearls to air dry before putting them away.
•Dirty pearls can be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution (try Ivory flakes).
•Never clean your pearls with solutions that contain ammonia or harsh detergents.
•Don't put pearl jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner.
•Don't use abrasive cleaners or rub pearls with abrasive cloth. Both can wear away the nacre coating, leaving you with a plain looking bead.
Storing Pearls
Don't store your pearls with other jewelry, because they can be scratched easily when metal or gemstones rub against them. Find a special slot in your jewelry box for the pearls, or keep them in a soft bag made from chamois or another non-abrasive material.
*Only clean the bright silver areas with a polishing cloth, do not use on the patina areas.
*All chain and ear wires are sterling silver.