October 05, 2015

know your metals: care and wear

We all have our favourite pieces, but how many of us really know how to care for for them? From everyday pieces, to special occasion jewels, every metal is made of different materials and should be cared for differently. To keep your pieces looking beautiful, check out the basics on your favourite metals below!

gold:

Solid gold can be 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and 24 karats. Karats describes the amount of pure gold used in the piece
You'll often see 14k and 18k when shopping, this is because the lower the karat, the stronger the piece is! Making it optimal for everyday wear
The different types of gold are yellow gold, rose gold and white gold...but there's even pink and green gold!
Rose gold gets its pink colour due to the mixture of pure gold and copper
White gold looks like sterling silver or platinum but it is a mixture of golds
Clean your golds by soaking the piece in water with mild soap for 5-15 minutes. Grab a clean toothbrush or soft bristle brush and gently scrub any areas the soap and water didn't clean
At bluboho we carry 10k, 14k and 18k gold pieces, along with yellow gold, rose gold and white gold

sterling silver:

Known as 925 silver, this is because it is made of 92.5% of silver and the remaining 7.5% is most typically copper
The reason silver contains 7.5% of other metals is because pure silver is too soft, this 7.5% strengthens the silver
It does not contain nickel, as many people are allergic to nickel. If you are one of those people you are in luck, because you can still wear sterling silver *wohooo*
Silver can turn a dark black shade making it to look tarnished, this is called oxidization and is common overtime
The best way to clean your sterling silver is making a paste with baking soda and warm water. Use this paste and run it gently over your pieces using your hands, then rinse well.
You can also use a polishing cloth and a jewelry dip cleaner - but be careful! Dip can harm silver and damage the finish, it will get rid of the oxidization if you have an oxidized piece. Bring your silver to a jeweller for a professional clean if you are concerned about dipping your precious pieces
When not wearing your sterling silver pieces we recommend storing them in airtight container or ziplock bag to keep them looking new
At bluboho we carry sterling silver rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings

brass:

Brass is mixture of copper and zinc that gives it a yellow gold colour
Overtime brass can oxidize like sterling silver
Clean your brass as you would clean your sterling silver (as said above)
At bluboho we carry brass bracelets

Xo!