Friday, April 20, 2012

How to Care for Seaglass Jewellery (Tips 5)

Continuing with my series on jewellery care, here are a few tips for looking after seaglass jewellery and accessories


*The characteristic frosting on genuine seaglass can fade with wear. This is caused by contact with oils in the skin. Clean your beach glass jewellery regularly to keep it looking well.


*You can wash your beach glass jewellery in mild soapy  water. A small drop of gentle washing up liquid or soap flakes in a non-metallic bowl of water will do the trick. You can use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub any marks or grime. Be sure to dry thoroughly after rinsing to protect any metal components in the jewellery from further tarnish. You can use kitchen paper and/or a piece of lint free, uncoated cotton or felt. Leave the jewellery to dry thoroughly overnight on a clean towel before storing.

If you polish silver parts of the piece with a soft cloth for jewellery cleaning, avoid rubbing the glass with it as it may cause black marks.



*Seaglass wrapped in un-laquered copper wire or silver plated wire can be dipped for a few minutes in a solution of water, lemon juice and a shake or two of salt. This will remove tarnish from the metal and will not harm the glass. Rinse and dry as above.

*Do not dip  beach glass wrapped or set in pre-oxidised silver into cleansers or solutions as this will remove the beautiful patina yet may not brighten up the silver fully, leaving you with something that looks more like gun metal. It may also transfer black marks to the glass.


*Avoid silver cleaning pastes, gels etc as they can get caught in and under the wire or settings. Rinseable foam cleaners meant for silver (eg) should be fine.

'Celtic Myth' Aquamarine Seaglass pendant






*To restore or intensify the colour you can use a small drop of baby oil or lavender oil on a cotton bud. Dab it on the glass and blot dry with a piece of kitchen paper after a few minutes.





(Note: none of my pendants are enhanced with oil for the photos. This kelly green pendant was held up to the light for this photo.)
Seaglass enhanced with lavender oil






2 comments:

  1. Great tips, photos and jewellery :D

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  2. The Sea Jewelry uses genuine sea glass and specializes in elegant distinctive settings in gold and silver.You can wash your beach glass Jewelry in mild soapy water.I love your sea glass Jewelry.
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