From Romani style beads and baubles, silk threads and silver accents to textured fabrics, epoxy clay, and brass sheeting – there’s really no limit to the materials you find used in mixed media jewelry today. Moving away from the typical delicate accessories and edging towards bolder costume jewelry, mixed media pieces are fun, quirky, and are fast becoming the hottest jewelry trend. However, there are still a few people who are a little nervous about trying out mixed media jewellery. Not because of the bold styles, but because this trend can make cleaning jewelry more difficult.
With silver jewelry, it’s simple – you look up tips on how to clean silver. With beaded jewelry, it’s simple – you look up tips on how to clean beads. But how do you clean jewelry that contains a wide range of different materials, and how do you ensure that you don’t damage the piece?
If you love mixed media jewelry, here is How to Clean Mixed Media Jewelry
Cleaning Mixed Media Metals
If your mixed media jewellery has a silver chain, you may find that it begins to become dirty over time. It may also darken in colour. This is completely normal, but it can leave your jewellery looking a little dull, rather than shiny and sparkling. You may have heard a lot about how to clean silver, but what are the best methods? Many techniques recommend using toothpaste or baking soda, but due to the soft nature of silver, these products can easily leave marks or scratches.
Silver cleaning solutions usually do a great job but are not without their problems either. You normally dip your jewellery into these cleaners so that they are fully covered and this means that any parts of your mixed media jewellery that are not silver will also be put in the liquid. This can cause damage to more delicate parts of your jewellery and even ruin the item of jewellery. Cleaning solutions may cause beads or gemstones to become loose. Alternatively, liquid could become trapped in your jewellery and weaken it.
For mixed media jewellery, the best tip for how to clean silver is to simply use a soft polishing cloth designed to remove dirt but protect the surface of the metal. If your silver jewellery is in very bad condition then you can find more great tips on how to clean silver at Cleanipedia. It’s the same for any wire that might be included in your jewellery – wipe it regularly with a cloth to remove any elements like soap, salt water, and chlorine that might create damage or cause the wire to change colour.
Cleaning Mixed Media Fabrics & Fibres
Silk cord, ribbon, cotton, wool… whatever fabrics and fibres you have as part of your mixed media jewellery, there’s nothing to worry about. These materials are all commonly used for clothing – clothing that gets washed regularly – so they’re able to withstand a little soap and water. However, remember that more delicate fabrics, like silk and wool, need a little extra care and attention.
If your fabric cords or material accents are beginning to look a little dirty, fill a bowl with some warm water but not too hot as this could cause the fabric to shrink. Add a normal amount of soap – either hand soap or a sprinkle of washing powder – and dip as much of the material as you can into the solution.
Be careful to keep any beads, gemstones, or settings away from the liquid and gently rub the material with your hands. Allow to dry naturally.
Care & Prevention
While it’s actually very simple to keep your mixed media jewellery looking bright and vibrant, you’ll notice that some of the more intense cleaning treatments aren’t recommended for jewellery that contains settings, beads, gemstones, and so on. This is why it’s so important to try to protect your pieces as best you can to prevent them from becoming very badly dirty or darkened.
Remember to take your jewellery off when showering and sleeping, and store your pieces well. Here’s a handy hint – a simple piece of chalk near your silver jewellery can help absorb moisture in the air and keep your jewellery looking great for longer! Also air your pieces for a while before your store them after use.
~ This post with a lot of useful tips in How to Clean Mixed Media Jewelry was written by John Brasington who deserves a warm welcome to Jewelsofsayuri. John is a veteran of unsavoury household arrangements and learned to clean in the trenches of student living. Now he writes about cleaning and whatever else takes his fancy.~
I hope you found it interesting
Cheers
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