Tip of the week: How to care for your jewelry.

A lot of people don't realize that all the lotion and day to day dirt that find it's way into the crevices of your favorite jewelry pieces are doing them harm. This is something I see everyday working in a jewelry store. Someone will bring in a piece of jewelry that hasn't been cleaned in years, and it will need a complete rebuild. All that day to day grim (even lotion or perfumes) tend to help the process of wear on your metal.

People expect that over time your jewelry will be worn down by banging against the wall, dropping it on the floor, or accidentally falling into the garbage disposal. Even sliding your hands in and out of your pocket can cause wear on a ring. However, no one ever thinks that the little bit of lotion you put on everyday rubs away the metal from the inside out as it builds up. I'm not saying you should give up lotion or perfume, then we'd all stink. It's just something every jewelry owner should be aware of.

This is what I propose. If you own any fine jewelry (gold, diamonds, etc.) the easiest thing to do is go to your local jewelry store. Most of them clean and check your jewelry for free. If they charge for this service, run away! It's the best thing for these materials, because it's free and you have professionals to let you know if something may be wrong. Most stores have bottles of jewelry cleaner available, either free with purchase or charge a small fee. My work offers a cleaner for $3 to give you something to use at home in between check-ups. I know it sounds like a dentist's office, and it isn't far from it. We recommend that you have your pieces checked and cleaned once a year. How simple is that?

Even though someone else cleaning your items may be convenient, fine jewelry stores won't always take in your costume or sterling jewelry. It's a good thing it's easy to do at home, and with something everyone probably has on hand. Dish soap. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I said dish soap. I'm not trying to name drop, but dawn is probably your best bet. What you're looking for is any gentle detergent, and many people recommend dawn. If you've happened to purchase the jewelry cleaner from you local jewelry, they basically work the same. Remember, don't forget your toothbrush. I'd get an extra. Don't use your own ; )

A simple solution of dish soap and water along with the scrubbing action of your toothbrush is good maintenance for any piece of jewelry even pearls. Since sterling silver and plated metals are tarnished just by coming into contact with the air, keeping these items in a Ziploc bag will help prevent tarnishing. Regular wear of your sterling jewelry is also good to prevent tarnishing. Just by brushing up against your skin or clothing can polish the surface of sterling. Anti-tarnish paper is also available to keep your metal sparkling. You can store a strip of it in your jewelry box, but it only lasts 6 months to 2 years.

Gold and silver plated items, even vermeil, should be cared for like sterling, but they are a slightly different animal. You can mostly assume that all costume jewelry has been plated with just about anything to make it shiny. Caring for these items takes more care. They shouldn't be worn in pools, while bathing or even when you apply perfumes or hairspray. Any chemical in these products can discolor the plating, and once it's turned there's no turning back. Unless you have it plated again (which would be more expensive to have done then the piece probably cost). This advice also goes for pearls.

Many of you may own polishing clothes. I do. These are not a bad item to have, but read its use carefully. Many will list a number of items they shouldn't be used on such as certain gemstones, pearls, and plated metals. If you take good care of your jewelry, you typically won't have a need for one. Just keep a mindful eye on your jewelry and it should last you for years to come.

I would like to thank my fellow blogger for the question that led to this blog. Thanks again and keep the questions coming. Just post a comment on a jewelry technique you'd like to know about, and I'll post a blog about it. One last food for thought. If you have frosted silver and would like to maintain the matte finish, use a white toothpaste instead of dish soap.

Work Shop Partners

I thought I'd take this opportunity to introduce two of my favorite companions in NightSky's workshop... Nubby & Killer. I don't know what stance others take on allowing pets in their workshop, but mine don't give me much choice. I do love having them around. They're so motivating with all their laying about (hint of sarcasm).

I do try my best to keep as much pet hair off the inventory as possible. All my products are kept in cabinets and out of easy access from them. I also clean every piece before shipping just in case. I've always wondered if letting them roam around the shop was a bad idea. They mostly stay out of trouble, so I don't give it much thought. The only thing I wish I could control is Nubby's urge to knock everything onto the floor.

Nubby is a tuxedo manx and Killer is the fluffy grey tiger striped. I've often been told I should switch their names. Nubby tends to be the one that is more high strung and gets into everything while Killer is very layed back and just wants to be pet. We just recently had one exciting night a couple weeks ago that put these little guys' nerves to the test.

It was around midnight when there was a knock on the door. I didn't want to answer, since it was so late, until I saw flashing lights through the window. There was policemen and firemen all over the place. To make a long story short, the townhouse two doors down caught on fire and we were told to evacuate because the fire had spread to next door. In my panic, I asked if I could rescue my pets. One fireman held the door for me while I tried to coral my kitties.

I thought the safest place to put them was the car. I got to Killer first, and lucky me all the commotion scared the pee out of him. I knew Nubby would be even harder to hold onto, so I held him in my arms and grabbed onto his back feet. All was well until he spotted the fireman holding the door. Realizing that all his squirming couldn't get him free, he chomped me right on my chin. It was kind of funny seeing the cringed look on the fireman's face when he witnessed this, but I didn't exactly enjoy standing in cat pee for an hour.

Luckily the fire never spread, our home is safe and no one was injured. As scared as my furry helpers were, once they were in the car they had a blast. They knew they were safe and they got to watch all the action from the front seat of the car. I'm just glad we're all safe, and they can roam freely through the house to which ever room they wish.

My first tip of week...

I had a hard time deciding what my first post on jewelry tips should be about. I myself have been learning how to fine tune my stone setting skills at work, so that's fresh on my mind. However, for a first tip, it should be more simple and something anyone could start out with (especially since I don't know my readers yet, if I have any). Now I've got it. An age old trick that could be useful for just about any craft not just jewelry. Wood burning.

Wood burning is something I just got into, and I have featured this technique in my currant jewelry line as shown to the right. It is such a simple process. I can't believe I never thought of it before. Not only is it simple, the tool is very affordable. You can pick up one of these babies in your local hobby store for around $15.00 .

I was first turned onto this tool by my co-worker. He was trained in woodworking before he crossed over to jewelry. He has made all of his own bur and drill bit holders for work, and he numbered each slot with this tool. I've always admired how nice they turned out and thought of making my own. This thought led me to my local hobby store to investigate. When I found out how cheap it was, I was sold. However when I got it home, making bur holders was the last thing I did with it.

With the cost of gold being so high, many jewelers have looked for alternate materials to use. This has caused wood to become a prized element in jewelry. For my own jewelry line, this has only been good news. An affordable material, readily available to any crafter, is now in the lime light. This got my gears turning, and I started practicing with my new wood burning tool on any wood piece I had. It was so much fun getting to know my tool, it instantly became an element in my new line.

If you purchase a wood burning tool, try to find one that comes with many different tips. It takes just a little getting use to. I experimented with every tip, so I could find the one I was most comfortable using. Each tip is supposed to create different effects, but I found I could maneuver certain ones better than others regardless of their descriptive use. If you pencil on your idea first, it helps eliminate errors. I like to free hand it myself. A little snag could turn into my next great pattern.

I should throw in a few warnings before anyone decides to get started. This tool gets very hot. Never change the tip while it's on, and always keep it attended. I recommend the tool you buy to come with a stand. Working on a flat surface is best, just as if you were making a sketch. Non treated wood is recommended, so that you avoid any toxins that may be released from a stained or painted piece of wood. And of course, read your manual thoroughly. I hate to sound like an after school special, but I had to do it.

Another good tip... try it on leather. The great thing about this tool is that you can put your own custom stamp on your pieces. The outcome is something that looks like it took some effort, but had you spend very little time. Have any suggestions for my next tip? Anything you'd like to learn about? Send me a comment.

Welcome to my first blog.

My name is Racheal. Pleased to meet you. I'm new to blogging, so let's see where it takes me. I'm a metalsmith by trade, and I have a company called NightSky Products. I incorporate sterling silver and semi-precious stones into my jewelry line. I've decided to get the word out about NightSky through blogging. Someone gave me a hot tip that this is where it's at.

Being a simple person myself, this leaves me with little content to fill up a blog. With that in mind, I've decided to give weekly tips on making jewelry. This will include anything from beading tips to metalsmith tricks. Since this is my first blog, please give me a few days to follow through. I enlist the help of any readers who have a question about the jewelry craft. Ask and I will make it my tip of the week (that is if I can answer the question).

Getting my start in the industry was... well, I just sort of fell into it. I knew I wanted to learn this craft, but I didn't know how to go about it. Luck guided me in the right direction. So for those of you not on good terms with luck, I hope I can help. Maybe one of my tips will be the trick you were looking for and guide you on your way. Please don't get your hopes up in believing I have the knowledge to turn anyone into a master crafstman. All I can offer is to pass on the knowledge that was given to me.

Got any questions? Post it in a comment. You can also visit my online store at www.nightskyproducts.etsy.com .