How to care for your jewelry
Congrats on your new Albertine jewel!
Your Albertine jewelry is designed to withstand the normal rigors of modern life, but keep in mind that they are still made from precious metals and delicate stones, so a little bit of care goes a long way!
Below you'll find our advice for each type of jewelry.
14k Solid Gold
Mix a small amount of mild dish detergent with warm water in a bowl. Put the jewelry into the bowl and let sit for a few minutes. Use a soft toothbrush (like a baby tooth brush) to gently scrub the jewelry. Remove item from soapy water, rinse it and dry thoroughly with a soft polishing cloth.
You can also use a polishing kit for extra shine and to remove any tarnish. Sometimes 14k gold can tarnish a bit - particularly on earrings and the inside of rings - depending on your skin chemistry, but it is a very easy fix.
You can also bring your pieces to a reputable jeweler and ask if they can put your piece in their ultrasonic cleanser. A small at-home ultrasonic is also a great, fairly modest investment, especially if you are very keen on keeping your jewelry at its most sparkly.
Sterling Silver
Silver tarnishes quite quickly when it comes into contact with oxygen or sulfur. Happily, the best measure to prevent this is wearing your silver jewelry often. The oils in your skin help prevent tarnish this varies depending on your own body chemistry).
When storing your silver jewelry, use an airtight plastic bag (like a Ziploc) and if you can, put in a piece of chalk or a silica gel (the little packets in new shoes) - these will help prevent tarnish while you are not wearing your silver.
If your silver is tarnished the best way to clean it is with a jewelry polishing cloth.
There are also many viable home remedies for cleaning silver you can find online.
Just remember that silver is very soft so use something like a very soft baby toothbrush to avoid scratching.
Pearls
Despite being rather sensitive beauties, pearls love being worn and their natural luster and glow will only improve when worn regularly.
However, they do need proper care to last many many lifetimes. Pearl experts say: put them on last and take them off first. Pearls are more vulnerable to the chemicals found in cosmetics, hair spray, hair dye, and perfume. And pearls do NOT like chlorine - neither in swimming pools or even regular showers.
They should be the final touch of your getting ready routine!
Pearls should ONLY be cleaned with a soft cloth moistened with water and the little bit of ivory soap.
Note: pearls improve with wear, gaining luster from the natural oils in skin. So please, wear your pearls every day.