By Penny Olson
I found that when you wear crystals on a daily basis they tend to lose a little bit of their luster. L et’s face it, the reason why we choose Swarovski is because they are top of the line. There is nothing in the market that will catch your eye and sparkle quite like a Swarovski crystal.
But if you wear crystals over a period of time you may find that they appear to be a little bit dull, not quite as bright as the day that you brought them home. I am going to talk about 2 very simple and inexpensive solutions that you can do at home to keep the brilliance in the jewelry that you love so much.
Most of the things that will take away from the beauty of a crystal are from everyday activities that most women do to take care of ourselves. Hairspray, lotions, make-up, and even oils from our skin can sit on the surface of each facet and mute the brilliance that really makes Swarovski crystal jewelry so unique.
The good news is that it is not difficult or expensive to maintain this beauty. You will find that a lot of the ingredients that I suggest, you probably already have in the house or can easily be purchased at any grocery or convenience store and you won’t break your wallet.
My personal favorite is one that a lot of people carry around with them already, Baby Wipes!!! You will be amazed at how easy it is to restore the shine in your crystals by simply holding a wipe between your thumb and a few fingers and rolling the crystals back and fourth once or twice and move along, continuing the process until you have cleaned all of them. Once you have finished, dry them off with a clean cotton cloth or a tissue, just be sure that it is a plain tissue not the kind that contain lotion.
Another simple way to maintain the brilliance of your Swarovski crystals is to make a solution that contains water, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap, it is a very easy and non-abrasive way to get all the hairspray, facial oils and other things off of the surface of your Swarovski crystal jewelry and restore that incredible sparkle.
In a plastic container that has a sealing lid, add 3/4 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 tablespoon of dish soap. Close the lid and shake thoroughly to mix the ingredients. Then place your jewelry in the solution and replace the lid. You will only need to eave it in there for one or two minutes, I would not recommend longer than that unless it is necessary. While your crystals are soaking GENTLY swirl the container for 30 seconds and then let it sit for the remaining minute. Then remove your crystal jewelry and run it under warm water to remove the soap and dry it in a clean cotton cloth. It will look like you just bought it!
Molly is a Ford Model and here she was kind enough to share with us her simple but yet effective way of making inexpensive jewelry.
She goes through two simple examples: First: She finds some pins (these can usually be found in a flea market or garage sales) and all she does is add a chain and it becomes a beautiful inexpensive necklace. [click to continue…]
Earrings are the most important item of jewelry for ladies. I know there are some people that will disagree with that claim, so let me explain. When it comes to appearance your earring does more to blend in with your appearance and overall attraction.
One mistake people make is, assume that their earring has to be flashier than what they are wearing. Which of these two scenarios is better: Someone walks up to you and says: “wow you look unbelievable today, by the way I love your earring” or “Wow, that’s a really nice earring.” Without complimenting your entire look. My point is, your overall look has to get more attention than the piece of jewelry on your ear. And for that to happen, your earring should NEVER conflict or try to outshine your overall look.
[click to continue…]
Question: I know jewelry is not a way to make money as far as reselling it. With that said what types of jewelry gets the most amount back if it does come to selling it? Gold, silver, diamonds?
Answer: In my opinion, jewelry made entirely out of gold, 18K or better sell best. And rare diamonds sell well on auction too. The problem is that jewelry is often bought for several times the worth of the gold to begin with, so you start pretty deep in the hole. Bullion coins, like Krugerrands or Pandas, sell much closer to the price of gold, and are appreciated more.
Question:
I’ve got a formal cream-colored gown I’m planning to wear to a gala event. What kind of jewelry can I wear with it? I think pearls might clash since they’re white, but could I do pearl drop earrings since they’ll be farther from the dress? Does a gold necklace work? Any other suggestions?
Answer:
White and gold, cream and gold, ivory and gold, they’re all beautiful. No pearls. I would definitely go with gold, it’s very back in style.
Question:
I know you need a curved barbell, but the only kind I see is for eyebrows. Is this the same jewelry? Can I buy an eyebrow ring for a replacement vertical labret barbell?
Answer:
Its the same, yes. Unless your lip is uncommonly thick, many types of standard size eyebrow barbells will fit perfectly! Typically you should also stay with the same gauge you were pierced with, most commonly a 16 gauge. You may also have to search for different lengths.
Question:
What color jewelry like gold or silver would look best with a brown halter dress with copper colored sparkles. It’s for my 8th grade prom. I have matching brown shoes. But don’t know what kind or color jewelry to wear.
Answer:
Of the two choices, gold. But I’d prefer a rose gold to yellow gold, if you cant find one of those, you can use copper.
Question:
I have silver and gold jewelry. How can I clean them at home. I used that Connoisseurs jewelry cleaner,but it doesn’t work good. Any natural household cleaners or products that I can use?
Answer:
Tooth paste and tooth brush does a really good, safe job and its pretty much cheap….btw, try to use only white Toothpaste
Question:
Ok, I have a lot of jewelry: long and short necklaces, rings, bracelets, watches, belly button rings, and other body piercing jewelry too!
I have a jewelry box but it seems to be shrinking because it’s not big enough to store all my jewelry now. Do you have good jewelry storage ideas?….So, I end up keeping a lot of the jewelry laying all around the jewelry box, but not in it and it’s a big mess!
Any suggestions of what to do and how to keep in nice and organized?
Answer:
necklaces: For Necklaces, there are alot of inexpensive ways to store them…Check out this example “Jewelry Storage Ideas”
For Earrings, bracelets and other body jewelry:Those can be kept in boxes, or inexpensive trays and in a drawer.
This is based on my mini series called Questions. The rules are you ask whatever questions you want and I will make a mini post/article and answer it. So here was the question that was asked:
Question: How do you clean silver jewelry without buying a fancy jewelry cleaning unit? I need to get rid of the tarnish.
Answer: Use toothpaste, an old toothbrush or soft cloth and water. scrub lightly and rinse well. Only use white toothpaste, works well.
Image by Nancy~still in AZ via Flickr
Very short question and answer, if you need a more detailed or better way I wrote another post on How to clean Silver Jewelry. Remember to send all questions through the contact us page. Love ya.
