Cart 0

Care and Feeding

 

CARE/CLEANING

Now that you have your very own piece of 10-tongoldfish designs, we want it to stay beautiful for years to come!

At 10-ton goldfish designs, we pride ourselves on using the highest quality materials we can find.

Below you can find a guidance on how to keep them clean and beautiful. Click here for a materials glossary.

Sterling/Gold

  • Do purchase high quality sterling silver, gold or silver or gold filled rather than plated items.
  • Do store your silver and gold properly (in an anti-tarnish box, wrapped in soft cloths) to avoid tarnishing and scratching.
  • Do polish your silver and gold gently and carefully when it needs it.
  • Do remove jewelry before showering, doing dishes, exercising, or engaging in other activities where it will be exposed to moisture for long periods of time.
  • Do use a soft-bristle toothbrush and up-and-down motions to clean silver and gold.
  • Do remove jewelry before swimming, especially in a chlorinated pool.
  • Do read all the instructions before polishing your jewelry, especially if it contains stones, gems, or other additions.
  • Do ensure that your jewelry storage location is as dry as possible.
  • Don’t store silver or gold with wood, rubber, or newspaper, as these items can lead to faster tarnishing.
  • Don’t scrub your silver or gold too harshly when cleaning it, as this can scratch it.
  • Don’t use standard wax to coat your silver and gold. Do use micro-crystalline wax or clear lacquer, but only if necessary and recommended by an expert.
  • Don’t use detergents with chloride to clean your jewelry.
  • Don’t use a “metal polishing” product on your silver or gold. Do use silver/gold polishing products instead.
  • Don’t wash jewelry pieces in the dishwasher.
  • Don’t leave jewelry pieces lying in direct sunlight (unless you’re wearing them).
  • Don’t use undiluted bleach, ammonia, or acetone to clean jewelry.
  • Don’t use steel wool to clean your jewelry (no matter how tarnished it is!).
  • Don’t be afraid to ask an expert for help if you have questions.

Pearls

  • Do wear them!!! Wear them at least  semi-often!! Pearls were originally born in the water and benefit immensely from absorbing the oils that your skin naturally secretes throughout the day. So go ahead, put them on and show them you care.
  • Do gently wipe pearls with a soft cloth to remove sweat, perfume, excess oils or dirt before putting them away.
  • Do keep pearls away from chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, ammonia, hairspray, perfume, and cosmetics, as these substances will damage the pearl surface.
  • Do be sure to put pearls on after finished spraying perfume or hairspray and putting on makeup. Be very careful with chemical substances as they will eat holes in the pearl nacre.
  • Do remove pearls before exercising to keep them away from perspiration.

 

  • Don’t store pearls with other objects or jewelry that may scratch their surfaces. Wrap the pearls in linen, soft cloth, or place in a soft pouch.
  • Don’t store pearls in an airtight package such as a plastic bag: remember, pearls need moisture.  If the environment is too dry, the pearls may crack. If placing the pearls in a safety deposit box or in a hot environment, leave a damp cloth nearby, and try to get them out of there as quickly as you can.