Tips for storing and caring for your jewellery creations

Silver Hills Gems: Tips for storing and caring for your jewellery creations.

We have some great tips for storing your jewellery in our info newsletter below.

At Silver Hills we had a very busy week.

We are listing new stone pendants at the moment. Loads of them. It is all hands on board listing taking pictures and labelling them.

Let me tell you what exciting things we have listed. Whats new?


I am in stock again with the hematite and black agate rings. These literally walk out of the shop every weekend.


I then have stock again of all the popular tumbles.


Black onyx


Blue goldstone


Dalmation stone


Jade


Zebra stone


Moss agate with holes.


The large ankh crosses are spectacular. I have them in a variety of stones. They are the rage in Europe at the moment. The size just jumps out at you in a piece of jewellery.


There are very detailed sunface pendants in picture stone


We renamed all the jumprings with a new code for better stock keeping. Apologies to all who are inconvenienced by this.


The 20 mm amethyst beads in stunning purple has a 2.5 mm hole. This is great for using in leather necklaces.


Does anybody have a better name for our 'lame' description of off-centre donuts? Have a look at the new items to see what I am referring to.


I again have some of those broad 10 mm wide jasper and tigers eye rings. They are so appealing.


The thumb pendants have a modern look to them and their simplicity is great as a focus piece.


The angels and skulls in tigers eye will be very popular.

Next week we do tools and gemstone beads. Exciting.

I am also expecting a brand new shipment in a week or two.

Ten Tips for Storing and Caring for Your Jewellery Creations

After you make your beautiful handcrafted jewellery, you should take one more important step in the process of becoming a jewellery aficionado: knowing how to keep your jewellery looking forever fabulous. We will show you how to properly store your jewellery, as you know how to keep it clean and in ready-to-wear shape at all times. You find out how and where you should store your finished jewellery pieces, as well as ideas for cleaning and maintaining you jewellery creations so you can enjoy them for many years. When you start making jewellery for other people you may want to pass along a few of these tips to them as well.

Use Polishing Cloths

One of the most economic items you'll ever purchase to help keep you jewellery looking fabulous is simple polishing cloth. These are available from jewellery supply vendors, but you can also find them at most discount stores for around R35.00 each. These supersoft cloths are chemically treated. Simply rub the cloth along your silver or other metals, and with a little elbow grease and time, your metal jewellery will look shiny and new. Invest in a few of these. Keep one in your jewellery toolbox and another near your jewellery storage area for quick swipes when you're racing out the door but need to clean a piece before you wear it.

Know What to Store Flat and What to Hang

Depending on the design of the jewellery item, how it's constructed, and how it's meant to be worn, you need to store jewellery pieces two different ways:


"Hanging: For some items, such as chains and most earrings, you want to hang them. This way, they don't get tangled up when you aren't wearing them. Nothing can drive you crazier than to have to pull a knot out of a piece of chain or to unkink a pair of dangling chandelier-style earrings.


"Storing flat: Some jewellery pieces last much longer if they are stored flat because they can stretch. These include bracelets and necklaces strung on mediums such as elastic cord, nylon or silk. The weight of the beads on the stringing material can, over time, stretch the piece and distort it. So try to find a shallow drawer to store these types of pieces in.

A jewellery armoire provides a way to hang some pieces and store other flat. So if you're a jewellery junkie, it may be worth it to invest in one. Most discount and department stores carry them these days. The most varies depending on the size, but R500 is a ballpark range for smaller armoires.

Keep Sets Together

Though many items can be mixed and matched, when you go through the trouble of making a complete jewellery set - matching necklace, bracelet and earrings - it's worth the extra trouble to keep the pieces together when you store them in your jewellery box. Many jewellery armoires these days come with shallow drawer that are section off. This can help you keep sets organized so they're together and easy to find when you have that perfect outfit to show off the particular bead in your jewellery set. If sets are split up in your jewellery box, it can be difficult to find all the pieces when you need them.

Inspect Your Knots

Tying knots between beads keeps your beads from hitting against each other and possibly cracking or breaking. Knots are also handy when a necklace may break, because they keep you from losing all your beads (or marbles, as the case may be). But it's important that you are aware of your knots. What shape are they in?

Most jewellery pieces like your classic strand of pearls, which is worn regularly throughout the year, should be restrung and reknotted annually. If you don't have time to do this (or if you forget), try to check your knots now and then to see how they are doing. If they become loose or frayed, it's time to restring and reknot your piece.

My brother sent me this important email below. I know you all get hundreds of these. If it feels like spam to you, I apologize.

Crucial &ldots;

Because of recent abductions

In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do

in an emergency situation...

This is for you,& for you to share with your wife,

your children, & everyone you know.

After reading these 9 crucial tips,

forward them to someone you care about.

It never hurts to be careful

in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :

The elbow is the strongest point

on your body.

If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide.

If a robber asks for your wallet &/or purse,

DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.

Toss it away from you....

Chances are that he is more interested

in your wallet &/or purse than you,& he will go for the wallet/purse.

RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,

kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out

the hole & start waving like crazy.

The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.

This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars

after shopping, eating, working, etc., & just sit

(doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc.

(DON'T DO THIS!)

The predator may be watching you, & this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in

on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,

and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR,

LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head

DO NOT DRIVE OFF,

Repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF!

Instead run the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you.

If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it.

As soon as the car crashes bail out and run.

It is better than having your body found in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting

into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

A.) Be Aware:

look around you, look into your car,

at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van,

enter your car from the passenger door.

Most serial killers attack their female victims

by pulling them into their vans while the women

are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,

& on the passenger side.... if a male is sitting alone

in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back

into the mall, or work, & get a

guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.

Stairwells are horrible places to be alone,

& the perfect crime spot.

This is especially true at NIGHT!

7. If the predator has a gun & you are not under his control,

ALWAYS RUN!

The predator will only hit you (a running target)

4 in 100 times; & even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.

RUN, preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying

to be sympathetic:

STOP!!

It may get you raped, or killed.

Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,

well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.

He walked with a cane, or a limp, & often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle,

which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard

a crying baby on her porch the night before last,

& she called the police because it was late

& she thought it was weird.... The police told her

'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby

had crawled near a window, & she was worried

that it would crawl to the street & get run over.

The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,

whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

He told her that they think a serial killer

has a baby's cry recorded & uses it to coax

women out of their homes, thinking that someone

dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it,

but have had several calls by women saying that

they hear baby's cries outside their doors

when they're home alone at night.

10. Water Scam!

If you wake up in the middle

of the night to hear all your taps outside running,

or what you think is a burst pipe,

DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE!

These people turn on all your outside taps

full bore so that you will go out to investigate

& then they attack.



Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!

Please pass this on.

This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because

the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on

America 's Most Wanted when they profiled

the serial killer in Louisiana



I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.

It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..

I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives,sisters,daughters, etc.,

you may want to pass it onto them, as well.



Send this to any woman you know that may need

to be reminded that the world we live in

has a lot of crazies in it, & it's better to be safe than sorry..

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this.

It may save your life or

a loved one's life



Have a great weekend.

Blessings

Gerdus, Cornel and office staff at Silver Hills Gems

www.bronnrocks.com