CARE GUIDE
Care Tips for Your Jewelry: Easy Steps To Keep Your Jewelry Looking Beautiful and Brand New
SSU Jewelry is proud to offer you one of a kind fine jewelry pieces that contain sparkling stones, natural gemstones, and premium metals in a variety of masterful creations, intriguing shapes, and a stunning array of sizes. These unique designs require delicate handling, proper storing, and gentle cleaning, so they will stay as pristine and vibrant as when you first purchased them.
The following list will provide simple care steps for all jewelry needs. Each stone is different and should be treated with the utmost care when they are both worn and stored away.
Our pieces are delicate, precious, forms of hand crafted wearable artwork.
Please store your SSU jewelry in the original pouch it was accompanied with upon purchase. This will keep the item from being exposed to dust, sunlight, and other harsh chemicals in the environment.
PEARL CARE: ABOUT OUR PEARLS
Pearls are sensitive in nature; so don’t forget to treat them with love.
They should always be kept in a soft cloth bag or box NOT stored against hard materials such as wood.
We use hand-selected cultured pearls from oysters and freshwater mussels that we carefully set in our fine jewelry pieces.
Pearls can easily become scratched or damaged when they are worn. Often drill set, this type of setting provides the pearl added exposure to the elements because it stands out from the setting and may get knocked or banged against.
Strands of pearls also require extra care. This includes the cord they are knotted in. Overtime, pearl strands may need to be re-strung.
Pearls should be the final piece of jewelry you put on. They should also be the first item you remove when you get home.
Pearls can be wiped with a soft cloth after they are worn. This will remove body oils or other build up they may have collected.
Do not spray perfume, hairspray, body spray or anything near the pearls. This will permanently damage the surface of the pearls, causing them to lose their luster.
Pearls can get damaged if they are wet. They must be removed before bathing or swimming. Remove pearl rings if you are washing your hands using soap or using hand sanitizer.
GEMSTONE CARE: CARING FOR YOUR GORGEOUS GEMSTONE COLLECTION
All of our gemstones are genuine mineral stones, highly valued for their beauty, longevity, and rarity. We use an array of precious and semi-precious stones, from corundum/sapphires (AAA Quality) to a rainbow of quartz varieties and everything in between. These are either cabochon stones that are cut like smooth domes or faceted stones. These stones can be cleaned with care to make them look brand new every time you wear them.
Here are some rules to keep your gemstones clean:
Except for emeralds and other porous stones, most common gemstones can be hand cleaned using warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush. Do not brush the gemstone hard. This will cause surface damages (scratches and small abrasions) to the stone.
Specialty stones such as mystic topaz must not be cleaned in this manner. If you have any questions at all, please consult your local jeweler for advice before cleaning the jewelry yourself.
Avoid chemicals or excessive temperatures when cleaning.
WARNING: Do not put your SSU pieces in a liquid jewelry cleaner. This may erode the gold plating or surface of the jewelry. We utilize a lot of different elements that add details to the design that may disappear if they are soaked in jewelry cleaner.
CARING FOR PREMIUM METALS
925 Sterling Silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. We plate our silver jewelry in rhodium, which gives it extra shine and durability. Plating is a process where a light layer of metal is set on top of the base metal. This means you must take extra care when wearing your jewelry.
925 STERLING SILVER CARE
Sterling silver is sensitive to water and other elements. Being exposed to water may cause the silver to discolor, pit, or oxidize. Water and other elements may also erode the rhodium plating.
Did you know wearing your jewelry often will keep it from oxidizing? The oils in your skin help keep the sheen of the silver shinier. Wear your jewelry often and keep it looking stunning.
GOLD PLATED/VERMEIL CARE
Vermeil is pronounced ver-may and is a beautiful, thick coat of gold that is a minimum of 2.5 microns thick layer over sterling silver. This thick vermeil coat is different plating. It is deeper and keeps your fine quality jewelry looking stunning with rich metal color saturation. Vermeil is less likely to wear off over time and expose any base metals it covers.
Vermeil jewelry should not be cleaned in liquid cleaner. This will erode its layer.
Vermeil jewelry cannot be worn during exercise and should not be exposed to water because this will wear down its layer.
Keep your vermeil jewelry looking brand new by cleaning it gently with a jewelry cloth and store it in your pouch or in a jewelry box away from the elements when it is not worn.
SOLID GOLD CARE
Do not expose your jewelry to extreme light or heat. This will damage the stones and metal finish over time.
If the metal contains no stones and is not plated, a gentle cloth or liquid cleaner can keep your jewelry looking like new.
Good news! Jewelry that is made of solid gold or silver with no stones can be showered and worn to bed. If it is a delicate chain, it should be removed to prevent damage.