Jewelry Care
Jewelry from Metal Worx Jewelry Designz is dedicated to vintage inspired, upcycled, and hand-stamped jewelry. My jewelry is constructed from aluminum, bronze, copper, pewter, sterling silver and 14kt. gold filled.
Handstamped Jewelry:
I hand sand and shape each individual piece to a soft satin feel and have darkened the designs. Each design is individually hammered by me. While pictures depict very closely what your final product will resemble, every piece is one of a kind. Therefore spacing, alignment and depth of letters will differ from piece to piece, thus adding to the unique individual charm of your jewelry. These variations should not be considered a defect in workmanship.
Jewelry Care:
Remove your jewelry when cleaning, swimming and or taking a shower. Do not expose your jewelry to any product that contains bleach, ammonia, alcohol or fingernail polish removers that contain acetone and turpentine (perfumes, lotions). Keep your jewelry as dry as possible.
Due to many factors, sterling silver will tarnish over time. This is a natural occurring process. Use a professional silver cleaning cloth or a ProPolish Pad to clean your jewelry. Do not immerse in a silver dip cleaner. It will remove the black lettering from your handstamped jewelry.
If you purchased copper or brass pieces, they will tarnish quicker than silver. Due to the oils in our bodies and other external factors (lotions, perfumes) the process will vary. Use a ProPolish Pad to clean and polish your jewelry. I have found that these are the best jewelry cleaning pads to use because they will polish all metals. Silver polishing clothes will not work on copper or brass jewelry.
To keep your pieces from oxidizing in your jewelry box, seal them in an air tight zip lock bag. You can put a silica gel packet inside the bag with your jewelry (the kind that comes in a shoe box or purse) or anti tarnish paper to keep the moisture out.
Copper & Brass:
Copper and brass are beautiful and colorful but there are things you need to know about these metals. They will darken over time and have to be polished. You can use copper and brass polish or a ProPolish Pad, which polishes all metals. These pads can be purchased on my website for $1.00.
Useing ProPolish Pads:
ProPolish Pads are a great way to shine and polish all of your metals. These pretreated 1" squares will also remove tarnish on your charms and pendants. An excellent size for hand-polishing, ProPolish Pads are a tight-bond cellular foam with permanently bonded micro-abrasives. Their convenient size make them easy to use. If the black etching looks faded and you would like to refresh it, use an industrial black Sharpie marker to add the black back into the letters, then use a ProPolish Pad to eliminate the extra Sharpie. You can also polish your chains with ProPolish Pads to restore its shine. You can use the pad until it turns a dark grey on both sides and won't polish anymore. Make sure the piece you are polishing is completely dry. If you if the pads wet, they get gooey.