How
To Care For Your Rhinestone Jewelry
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So you received something glitzy and gorgeous - what to do now? Take fantastic
care of it of course. Our tips below will show you ways to keep your jewelry
safe from harm and looking its best.
Why is cleaning rhinestone jewelry different from cleaning other types of
jewelry?
To answer this question, it is first necessary to understand exactly what a
rhinestone is. In its very basic essence, a rhinestone is simply a piece of
glass backed with foil. This piece of glass does not refract light in the way
that a real diamond reflects light; therefore, in order for this piece of glass
to reflect light and sparkle, it is backed with foil. This foil acts in the same
manner as the backing on a mirror, without the backing, a mirror is just a piece
of glass. Without the foil on a rhinestone, the light would just shine right
through the glass, instead of being refracted and reflected back out.
Why is this so important when cleaning rhinestone jewelry?
Because of the foil backing, the greatest threat to the beauty of rhinestone
jewelry is moisture. If moisture gets behind the rhinestone, it will cause the
foil to tarnish and darken. This will result in a dull and lifeless rhinestone,
which will require replacement. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that
you never clean your rhinestone jewelry by immersion. You must never 'dunk' your
rhinestone jewelry in cleaners meant for fine jewelry or even in liquid cleaners
that claim to be safe for costume jewelry.
Now I know what not to do, so how do I clean my rhinestone jewelry?
First, lets get the together the items we will need to properly clean our
rhinestone beauties.
• Very soft bristle brushes like the ones used to apply eye shadow makeup
• Clean cotton or muslin cloths
• Paper towels
• Dental style pick, hatpin, or similar style needle
• Can of compressed air – usually used for cleaning computer parts
• Window cleaner such as Windex or similar
• Hair blow dryer with a low/cool setting
The first step is to remove any loose dust and dirt on the piece with the can of
compressed air. You may also use a soft, dry makeup brush for this step, but be
careful because bits of dirt can scratch the stones surface, especially if it is
coated with an aurora borealis finish. If there are any stubborn areas of built
up crud, such as food, makeup, or dirt, you can gently use the dental pick to
loosen. Needless to say, be very careful not to scratch the metal or stones.
Now with the loose material removed, we can focus on cleaning and polishing the
piece. Since rhinestones are pieces of glass, it makes perfect sense to use a
cleaner that is made especially for glass, i.e., a window cleaner such as
Windex. To begin, fold a paper towel in half and then fold in half again so that
it is folded into a square with four layers. Place a couple of squirts of window
cleaner onto the top layer of the folded paper towel.
We will do most of the cleaning with a very soft bristled makeup brush. Take the
brush and blot the bristles onto the damped paper towel. You are looking to have
the bristles just damp, but not overly wet. Remember we do not want any moisture
to seep behind our rhinestones. With gentle swirls of the brush, start cleaning
both the metal setting and rhinestones. If your swirling action creates suds,
then your brush is most likely too wet. You should blot your brush on a dry
paper towel to remove some of the cleaner before continuing.
After cleaning a small area on your piece, blot it dry with the cotton cloth. Be
careful about rubbing with the cloth, otherwise your cloth might catch on the
prongs that hold the rhinestones in place. After you have cleaned the entire
piece in this manner, you can use a hair blow dryer on its lowest/coolest
setting to further insure that no moisture is behind the stones. Lay the piece
flat on a cotton cloth and run the hair dryer over the piece for a couple of
minutes. Now place the piece face down on the cotton cloth to continue drying.
What else can I do to keep my beauties sparkling?
First, never just jumble your jewelry together in a jewelry box. The pieces will
rub against one another causing scratches in the metal, scratches in the stones,
and even causing the stones to pop out. It is best to store your jewelry in the
box in which it came. These boxes are usually lined with cotton inserts, which
are great at protecting your beauties. If storing a pin and earring set in the
same box, then fasten the pin and earrings to the cotton insert to eliminate the
possibility of them rubbing together.
Never subject your jewelry to harsh temperature changes. The metal in the piece
expands and contracts in extreme temperature changes, which can cause the
rhinestones to become loose and fall out. Also, be careful when storing jewelry
in wooden jewelry boxes and drawers. Oak, for instance, has certain chemicals
that react adversely with the metals in costume jewelry.
Lastly, when wearing your sparkling beauties, let them be the last thing you put
on before leaving the house. Never have your jewelry on while applying
cosmetics, perfume, and hair spray. Never wear your jewelry against skin with
perfume or perfumed lotions. The metal will react to the chemicals causing it to
tarnish.
It you follow this simple advice, your sparkling, beauties will last you a
lifetime.