Beautiful Baubles

Keep your jewelry happy!

No matter how many pieces of jewelry you own, you can keep each piece in pristine condition with good care, maintenance and a little TLC. Jewelry can retain its brand new appearance as along as it's well cared for. Basic care and cleaning will help your Lucky Charms jewelry keep its original beauty, brilliance & shine that last a lifetime!

Protect your jewelry from scratches, sharp blows, chemicals, extreme temperatures and sunlight and avoid abrasive surfaces. Do not pull or tug on clasps or chains. Do not pull on the gem in the setting for any reason. This practice will expose the gemstones to dirt, oils and perspiration.

Apply make-up, hair spray and perfume before putting on your jewelry. The chemicals contained in these products will tarnish sterling silver and affect most gemstones over time, ruining surface appearance.

After each wearing, gently wipe each piece of jewelry clean of make up and skin oils with a Lucky Charms Signature Jewelry Care Cloth.

Clasps are important. Examine your jewelry regularly to make sure the settings are snug and the clasps and joinings are secure. Before you put a piece of jewelry on, test it for loosened stones and check the clasp. There’s nothing worse than losing a beloved piece of jewelry because the clasp fails. Likewise after wearing it so you are sure the clasp is firmly in place. Loose clasps can result in lost Jewelry.

Remove jewelry when doing household tasks such as gardening, cleaning, household repairs or other strenuous activities.

Do not wear jewelry while in a pool, hot tub or bathing. The chlorine and chemicals in the water can damage various gemstones and metals.

Frequent cleaning is recommended to maintain the true beauty and luster of your jewelry. Salt water, chlorine in swimming pools, soap, perfumes, personal products and perspiration take their toll on all fine jewelry. Wipe your jewelry carefully with a Lucky Charms Signature Jewelry Care Cloth to keep it clean and beautiful!

Earrings should have the closure cleaned with an alcohol swab to kill any bacteria. It is wise to put a tissue between the surface of any stone and your finger as you apply the closure to the back of the earring, since the oils on your finger would leave an impression on the stone's surface and take away from its brilliance, sparkle and shine.

Tarnish can be retarded when your jewelry is not being worn or displayed by storing your jewelry in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag with anti-tarnish paper. Pearls and Opals, however, should be stored in fabric instead of plastic because they need to “BREATHE”.

Always store your jewelry in cloth pouches, paper, or jewelry boxes that have separate sections. Not only will you always know where you last saw those favorite stud earrings, but this practice will prevent pieces from scratching each other. In particular, keep diamond pieces stored separately -- diamonds have a well-deserved reputation for scratching all other gemstones and each other. Also, it pays to store chains separately to save yourself the headache of untangling them. Store bead necklaces strung on silk flat because silk stretches over time and may cause them to come apart.

Avoid extreme temperatures. Do not store jewelry next to heating vents, window sills or in the car. Always store your jewels away from sunlight. The sun may fade some gemstones.

Rings should have the bottom of the shanks checked, especially if they are worn every day. Shanks can thin out and cause the ring to break off while on your finger.

Once a year, have your rings professionally cleaned. The jeweler will check for loose settings and put the original sparkle back in your favorite jewelry. Pearl and bead necklaces should be restrung by a professional every two years or once a year if you wear them frequently.

SOLUTIONS TO KEEP JEWELRY FROM DISCOLORING YOUR SKIN

Has gold and other jewelry ever left greenish or black marks on your skin? It's happened to many of us at least once or twice, and even though some people are allergic to certain materials, most staining isn't caused by an allergy--it's a reaction between our skin and the metals used in jewelry, especially when the jewelry touches areas that perspire.

Copper Jewelry

Copper reacts to turns skin green. The piece you're wearing might not be pure copper, but it might have enough copper in it to cause a reaction and some people seem to have body chemistry that's prone to staining.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is 7.5 percent copper, but the most common stains from sterling silver jewelry are black and occur when the metal tarnishes (darkens due to a reaction with gases in the air).

Some sterling pieces are coated with products that help keep them from tarnishing, but the coatings will wear off in time.

Gold shouldn't cause staining, should it?

Gold itself hardly ever stains your skin, it's the other metals that gold is mixed with that do. Copper, nickel and silver can be used to alter the color of gold, and make it stronger and more affordable. Any of those metals can cause discoloration on your skin.

The lower the "K" number on your gold (Karat), the less pure gold it contains--and the more other metals. Some people never have a reaction to the metals in even 10K gold, but others must buy 18K pieces to stop the discoloration.

Nickel Allergies

If you are allergic to nickel, you won't just have stained skin. Jewelry that contains the metal will make your skin itchy and red where it comes in contact with your body.

Gold Plated & Gold Filled Jewelry

The thin layer of gold in gold plated jewelry can wear off, exposing an inexpensive base metal that can stain your skin Gold filled jewelry is made with a thicker outer layer of gold, so it doesn't wear off as quickly.

• Switch to 18 Karat gold, a more pure metal.
• Platinum is expensive, but rarely reacts with our skin.
• Ask your jeweler if the piece can be coated with a new layer of metal or a clear protective film along edges that touch your skin.
• Coat the jewelry with clear nail polish where it touches your skin.
• Choose stainless steel jewelry when possible, especially when buying body jewelry components.
• Titanium is another metal choice, for its non-staining qualities and for people with metal allergies.
• Watch for jewelry labeled hypo-allergenic. It's formulated for people with heightened sensitivities to metals.
• Keep your skin dry when wearing jewelry.
• Wear your jewels for only a limited period of time.
• Keep your jewelry clean and tarnish-free.

JEWELRY SAFETY - Please always supervise children while they are wearing jewelry of any kind. Lucky Charms jewels and accessories for children are keepsakes and heirloom gifts meant to be worn for portraits, special occasions, holidays, parties, etc. and children or babies should never wear them while sleeping or napping, riding in a car seat, while bathing, playing outside, or everyday wear such as to school, etc.

Please be sensible and be safe. Accidents can and do occur. We ask that you use caution and be aware that jewelry and accessories may contain small parts that could present themselves as choking hazards. Never leave a young child unattended while wearing any jewelry or accessory product.

Please be aware that any cut or fire polished glass beads are likely to contain lead as part of the glass formula. Crystal rhinestones and Swarovski crystal products also contain lead. We strongly recommend that these items not be selected for or given to children. Any finished children's jewelry retailed in the state of California, via store or internet sales, is prohibited by law from containing leaded components per Proposition 1681 effective September 1, 2007.

California Proposition 65 requires special product labeling for products containing certain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm if the product will expose the consumer to such chemicals. Lead levels in these products comply with FDA standards. California requires the following separate notice: Prop 65 Warning: Products made with crystal may contain trace amounts of lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently announced restrictions on the purchase and sales of blue topaz stones. A common method of coloring topaz stones is by having them "blued" by nuclear irradiation. Though there have been no major health concerns raised, the NRC nonetheless has an obligation to regulate any products associated with nuclear activity of any sort. Decisions are still being made as to what licenses or permits will be required to legally buy or sell these gems.