Care For Your HOLOS Amulets
Chemicals in Our Lives Can Effect Your Plated and Cast Precious Metal Jewelry
In this post I’m going to explain the best way to care for your HOLOS Amulet. I will begin with 24K Gold Plated HOLOS, then cover Stainless Bronze, Antique Bronze, and on to Cast Gold, Silver, and Copper. Perfumes, creams, lotions, and makeup all contain substances than can affect the finish of plated and cast precious metal jewelry. Some soaps and detergents are stronger and harsher than others. Certain fruits and vegetables are acidic. Some are more alkaline.
The point is, any substance that isn’t PH neutral can potentially affect your jewelry. Here are a few suggestions to extend the life of your gold plating and the finish of your precious metal HOLOS Amulets.
Written by Calla Gold
Gold Plating Jeweler (805) 963-4157 http://callagold.com
Ten Ways to Extend the Life of Your Gold Plated Jewelry
1. Wash your hands before putting on or taking off plated jewelry.
2. Put on gold plated pendants after you’ve applied your perfume.
3. Put on your plated jewelry after you have applied lotion or put on makeup.
4. Take off your plated rings or bracelets before chopping tomatoes for dinner.
5. You also might want to remove your plated jewelry before changing a baby’s diaper.
6. Avoid rubbing plated necklaces against each other.
7. Don’t swim in your plated jewelry.
8. Don’t wear your plated jewelry when you’ll be sweating profusely.
9. Clean your plated jewelry gently, and don’t rub it.
10. Store your gold plated jewelry in a pouch or soft cloth separate from other jewelry.
Seriously, Water can Hurt Your Plating
The chlorine and other chemicals added to swimming pools and hot tubs can also produce adverse effects. Ocean salt water can effect plating, as well. The ocean thing is a long shot, but if you swim regularly in the ocean it will speed the breakdown of your plating.
Remove your plated jewelry before swimming in chlorine laden water, be it the neighbor’s backyard swimming pool or a patio Jacuzzi. You’re probably fine swimming in the local reservoir, or skinny dipping in a water hole.
Perspiration and Your Personal PH level
Last but not least, one’s own body chemistry can be harsh on plating. Just like fruit, some people are more acidic than others. Depending on one’s diet, it’s not uncommon for chemicals perspired through the pores of the skin to cause plated jewelry to tarnish and discolor.
Some people sweat more than others. Jill works out for two hours every day. Joyce is a CPA riding a desk. Jill would be wise to remove her plated pendant before going to the gym. Joyce, on the other hand, is stylishly safe wearing her plated necklaces while crunching numbers.
Cleaning Your Plated Jewelry
Plated jewelry should be cleaned periodically. Even if you’re sure your pendant hasn’t been exposed to any of the aforementioned substances, it’s been in contact with your skin—which does perspire.
Wash plated jewelry with warm water. Use a mild soap only if necessary. Getting junk out of nooks and crannies with an old, soft toothbrush is Okay. If you need to use toothpaste use a gentle one with no whitening agents or abrasives in it.
Be gentle and don’t rub too hard. I’ve seen examples of gold plated jewelry where vigorous rubbing with a polishing cloth took off some of the gold plating.
In some cases WD-40 is a good cleaner for gold plated jewelry. It’s tougher on dirt and sticky substances than gentler dish soap.
Re-plating, Like Reincarnation for Your Jewelry!
Don’t despair if the thin layer of gold on your pendant eventually wears off in spots. It can be fixed! Not all jewelers handle gold plating, call around or search the internet for a gold plating jeweler.
If you live in the back of beyond you can mail your jewelry to be re-gold-plated. Give your dowdy gold plated jewelry new life. The fountain of youth is in the hands of your gold-plating jeweler!
Written by Calla Gold
Gold Plating Jeweler
Care For Your Stainless and Antique Bronze HOLOS Amulet
From www.jewelrynotes.com with my additions.
Your Stainless or Antique Bronze HOLOS Amulet is a combination of stainless steel and bronze in a 60/40% mix. After polishing it is clear coated to prevent tarnish or patination. Depending on your care, it will tarnish or darken with time. The tarnish can be a greenish layer of copper oxide formed when the bronze comes into contact with salt from sweat or salt water plus oxygen and is called patina. Let’s see how you should clean and care for your HOLOS Amulet, and how you can remove its patina in case you prefer another look.
Cleaning Dirt from Your HOLOS
Cleaning is pretty straightforward. First wipe any dust or dirt from your HOLOS Amulets. Then apply some mild soap to the piece, and rub it to take out any dirt that has accumulated. After the item is cleaned, rinse it with water, and completely dry it using a towel.
Polishing Bronze While Preserving Its Patina
Some people like the patina that accumulates on their HOLOS Amulets. Once formed, this layer can actually protect bronze from corrosion.
If you want to keep the patina on your bronze HOLOS, do not clean it with any household cleaners.
Just use a dry cloth to wipe gently the dirt off the item, and then clean the hard-to-reach spots with a soft brush like a toothbrush.
Before polishing your bronze jewelry, make sure it is completely dry. Apply a thin layer of wax on the surface of the piece (you can use a soft cloth). After covering the item with wax, let it dry, and then buff your jewelry with a clean soft cloth. If you get too much wax on the inside, just heat the wax in the sun or warm in your oven until it melts out. Then let it dry and buff.
Removing Bronze Patina Using Lemon Juice
To clean the green patina on your Bronze HOLOS Amulet, start by washing it with warm water to remove any dirt, and then dry the piece. Take a small bowl, and put 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda in it. Pour a little lemon juice, and mix it with the soda until you make a paste.
Rub the paste onto your Bronze HOLOS, and keep rubbing until the item is clean; you can use a toothbrush or a cloth. Then leave the item with the paste on for about half an hour before rinsing the jewelry and drying it with a cloth.
If the patina is persistent, you might need to repeat the entire process until the tarnish goes away. You can also try soaking the piece in some vinegar for about an hour before scrubbing it with a toothbrush.
Care For Your 14 and 18K Gold HOLOS Amulet
From www.jewelrynotes.com with my additions.
Every piece of gold jewelry can develop a dull look on its surface after some time. HOLOS Gold Amulets are clear coated after polishing to preserve the polish. Over time and exposure dulling can happen. This dulling is a result of a chemical reaction that occurs when polished gold comes into contact with air and various substances.
How Can You Prevent Gold From Getting Dull?
There is no permanent way to protect your gold jewelry from dulling over time because it reacts with so many materials found in everyday life. Cast Gold HOLOS Amulets tends to stay bright for years unless they come in contact with certain substances. For instance, dulling can be accelerated by contact with tap water (because it contains chlorine), a number of foods (e.g., salad dressings), your perfume and hair spray, and even wool clothing.
While dulling is a natural process that cannot be prevented, it can be slowed down, but you will still need to clean your Gold HOLOS Amulet. Oils from your skin accumulate on the surface of gold and can predispose it to oxidization
Use warm water to wash your jewelry items gently, and dry them with a soft cloth.
You can also delay dulling by regularly polishing your gold jewelry. Use a polishing cloth to clean your HOLOS at the first signs of dulling.
Alternatively, you can have your HOLOS buffed by a professional.
Minimize contact of your gold jewelry with substances that can cause dulling. This means that you shouldn’t wear your HOLOS when washing up or taking a bath.
And don’t forget to put on your jewelry only after you have applied makeup and perfume.
How to Polish Gold
After your Gold HOLOS has already become dull, you can use a polishing cloth.
You can also take your HOLOS Amulet to a jewelry shop to have your pieces professionally cleaned.
Care For Your Silver HOLOS Amulet
From www.jewelrynotes.com with my additions.
Every piece of silver jewelry develops a tarnish coating on its surface after some time. This tarnish is a result of a chemical reaction that occurs when silver comes into contact with air and various substances. HOLOS Silver Amulets are clear coated after polishing to prevent tarnish build up. Over time and exposure tarnish can build up.
Silver tarnish is a form of corrosion, but unlike rust, it does not destroy the underlying metal and can be removed relatively easily.
How Can You Prevent Silver from Tarnishing?
There is no way to protect your silver jewelry from turning black because silver reacts with so many materials found in everyday life.
For instance, tarnishing can be accelerated by contact with tap water (because it contains chlorine), a number of foods (e.g., salad dressings), your perfume and hair spray, and even wool clothing.
While tarnishing is a natural process that cannot be prevented, it can be slowed down, but you will still need to clean the tarnished layer at some point.
To slow down tarnishing, clean your silver jewelry after wearing it. Oils from your skin accumulate on the surface of silver and can predispose it to oxidization
Use warm water to wash your jewelry items gently, and dry them with a soft cloth.
You can also delay tarnishing by regularly polishing your silver jewelry. Use a polishing cloth to clean your silver items at the first signs of tarnishing.
Alternatively, you can have your silver jewelry buffed by a professional.
Minimize contact of your silver jewelry with substances that can cause tarnishing. This means that you shouldn’t wear your silver when washing up or taking a bath.
Don’t forget to remove your silver rings when cooking. Also, avoid wearing your silver necklaces with wool clothing.
Latex is another substance that can speed up tarnishing, so you should avoid contact of your silver items with it.
And don’t forget to put on your jewelry only after you have applied makeup and perfume.
How to Clean Silver Tarnish
After your silver is already tarnished, you can use a silver polish to remove the black coating.
Another option is to use a silver polishing cloth.
You can also take your silver items to a jewelry shop to have your pieces professionally cleaned.
If you prefer to clean your silver jewelry at home, you can use a silver cleaning dip:
- Line a glass container with tin foil; pour some hot water, and add one or two tablespoons of salt and baking soda.
- Put your silver pieces in the dip, and leave them there for about five minutes.
- After the tarnish disappears, rinse your jewelry with water and dry it using a soft cloth.
Some people use toothpaste to clean silver. However, there are others who warn against this method as toothpaste can be too abrasive and scratch your jewelry. Generally, it comes down to the softness of the silver alloy and to the kind of toothpaste used as some brands are more abrasive than others. If your silver item has a flat surface, where scratches could be seen easily, you might not want to risk using this method.
Storing Silver to Delay Tarnishing
Generally, to slow down the tarnishing process, you should store you silver jewelry in a way that limits its exposure to air and humidity.
Put your silver items in sealed bags that close tightly. You can also put a silica gel bag inside, along with your jewelry. These small silica packets absorb humidity and thus help to delay tarnishing
Care For Your Copper HOLOS Amulet
From www.jewelrynotes.com with my additions.
Copper HOLOS Amulets are cast with a bronze alloy of copper and tin between 90-95% copper, and after polishing it is clear coated to prevent tarnish or patination. Depending on your care, it will tarnish with time. The tarnish is a greenish layer of copper oxide formed when the alloy comes into contact with oxygen and is called patina. Let’s see how you should clean and care for your Copper HOLOS, and how you can remove its patina in case you prefer a shinier look.
Cleaning Dirt from Your Copper HOLOS
Cleaning is pretty straightforward. First, use a jewelry polishing cloth to wipe your precious metal HOLOS Amulets. Then apply some mild soap to the piece, and rub it to take out any dirt that has accumulated.
After the item is cleaned, rinse it with water, and dry it using a towel.
Polishing Copper While Preserving Its Patina
Some people like the patina that accumulates on their HOLOS Amulets. Once formed, this layer can actually protect copper/bronze from corrosion.
If you want to keep the patina on your bronze jewelry, do not clean it with any household cleaners.
Just use a dry cloth to wipe gently the dirt off the item, and then clean the hard-to-reach spots with a soft brush.
Before polishing your copper jewelry, make sure it is completely dry. Apply a thin layer of paste wax on the surface of the piece (you can use a soft cloth).
After covering the item with wax, let it dry, and then buff your jewelry with a clean soft cloth.
Removing Copper Patina Using Lemon Juice
To clean the patina on your copper HOLOS Amulet, start by washing it with warm water to remove any dirt, and then dry the piece. Use a polishing cloth if you don’t want to get involved with these other methods of removing patina and polishing.
Take a small bowl, and put 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda in it. Pour a little lemon juice, and mix it with the soda until you make a paste.
Rub the paste onto your copper jewelry, and keep rubbing until the item is clean; you can use a toothbrush or a cloth. Then leave the item with the paste on for about half an hour before rinsing the jewelry and drying it with a cloth.
If the patina is persistent, you might need to repeat the entire process until the tarnish goes away. You can also try soaking the piece in some vinegar for about an hour before scrubbing it with a toothbrush.
Storing Your Copper HOLOS
When taking off your HOLOS Amulet after wearing it, wipe the pieces clean with a soft cloth before storing. This should be done to remove any traces of oils from your skin as they may speed up the tarnishing.
Since the tarnishing process is facilitated by the oxygen in the air, it is advisable to keep your Copper HOLOS Amulet in a plastic bag to slow down the formation of patina. You can also put an anti-tarnishing strip in the bag.