Category: Jewelry tutorials

Boho chic golden necklaces

Maintaining brass jewelry

The maintenance of brass jewelry requires a little more attention than gold jewelry, only stainless metal. Brass is a combination of pink copper and gray zinc, it has a natural matte yellow color that gives it a slight vintage look. Like 925 silver, brass oxidizes in contact with the air and over time. Oxidation is a surface phenomenon and it is easy to overcome, in order to keep its brass jewelry bursting.

Care Tips Brass Jewelry

The two main things to do for proper care of brass jewelry are to store them in pouches or a jewelry box, and to protect them from contact with acidic substances. Here are some additional tips:

  • Remove your brass jewelry for cleaning, sports, or going to the pool
  • Drop your perfume drops away from the contact areas with your jewelry
  • Prefer a neutral pH soap (if you do not remove your jewelry in the shower!)
  • Remove your brass jewelry to sleep if your skin is acid (acid skin = your jewelry darken very fast)

Why does brass jewelry tarnish?

Unlike gold, the surface of brass tarnishes over time. Oxidation is a natural phenomenon, but certain factors accelerate it, let's see which ones:

  • PH acidic skin.
    The PH of the skin varies from one person to another and according to what is consumed. Indeed the PH will be more acidic if the person consumes acidic foods or alcoholic beverages. To learn more, read this Naturopathic article.
  • The contact of brass jewelry with
    • acid perspiration
    • cosmetics,
    • perfumes,
    • maintenance products,
    • chlorinated pool water
    • a very humid air

Cleaning and maintenance of brass jewelry

The main idea for cleaning brass jewelry is to remove the thin layer of brass tarnished by oxidation (contact with oxygen).

The recipes of grandmothers

  • Baking soda
    Place the baking soda on a previously wet toothbrush and rub gently.
  • Ash of cold wood
    Same as bicarbonate
  • White vinegar
    Soak your silver jewels in white vinegar. Leave 2 for hours.
  • Lemon juice
    Dip a toothbrush into squeezed lemon juice and rub gently.

The tricks of modern times

  • Coca
    Soak your silver jewelry in coca, for 1 minute. Wash them with soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
  • Toothpaste
    Cover the silver jewelry with toothpaste and let sit 30 minutes.

You have been warned!, the maintenance of brass jewelry is not at all the same if it includes semi-precious stones. Indeed, it will be necessary to bypass the stones so as not to damage them! Their chemical composition might not at all appreciate a treatment reserved for brass.

If your brass jewelry has stones, use a toothbrush, a soft cloth and a dose of patience. If necessary, a little elbow grease will suffice.

Remember to use a chamois or microfiber type cloth to avoid scratching the brass.

Maintenance of professional brass jewelry

There are products dedicated to jewelry, such as products Hagerty, a brand specializing in the care of jewelry and precious objects. These items range from 7 to 10 euros.

Omyoki brass jewelry

The Omyoki brass jewelry are hand-made, for the most part. Those who come from presses (simple and full forms) benefit from hand-made finishes. We opted for brass jewelry without gold plating as veneers rarely fit in time. Simple brass, will tarnish over time, but with proper maintenance will retain all its brilliance.

Brass has been used in jewelry for hundreds of years. It is mainly the Indian artisans who initiated this use, which became common later. Now very trendy, brass jewelry is on the rise!

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Silver Jewelery Maintenance - Omyoki Jewelery Maintenance Tutorial

Maintaining silver jewelry

Here is a silver jewelry interview tutorial to read and share! Discover all the recipes of grandmother, the tricks of the modern times and those of the professionals.

First of all, it is normal for silver jewelry to blacken. A silver jewelry can be of excellent quality, it is nonetheless subject to the vagaries of time. Silver oxidizes, this chemical reaction takes place between the silver layer in contact with the air, and the oxygen. Indeed, whether you wear your jewel or not, the money will darken over time.

Maintaining silver jewelry

Silver Jewelery Maintenance - Omyoki Jewelery Maintenance Tutorial

Several factors will lead to a more or less rapid blackening. Let's see what accelerates the blackening of silver, or its oxidation:

  • The PH of your skin, which varies from person to person and depending on what you consume. Indeed your PH will be more acidic if you consume acidic foods or alcoholic beverages. To learn more, read this Naturopathic article.
  • Contact with
    • acid perspiration
    • cosmetics,
    • the perfume,
    • cleaning products,
    • chlorinated pool water
    • synthetic fabrics, which cause electrochemical reactions
    • a very humid air

Maintenance silver jewelry, everyday

Here are some simple steps to take care of your silver jewelry:

  • Remove them for cleaning, sport, going to the pool
  • Drop your perfume drops away from the contact areas with your jewelry
  • Prefer a neutral pH soap (if you do not remove your jewelry in the shower!)
  • Remove your silver jewelry to sleep if your skin is acid (acid skin = your jewelry darken very quickly)

Little wonder of trick : store your jewelry with a chalk. In fact, the chalk stick will absorb moisture.

 

How to clean silver jewelry

You have been warned!, the maintenance of silver jewelry is not at all the same if it involves precious or semi-precious stones. Indeed, it will be necessary to go around the stones so as not to damage them! Their chemical composition might not at all appreciate a treatment reserved for silver.

If your silver jewelry includes stones, use a toothbrush, a soft cloth and a dose of patience. If necessary, a little elbow grease will suffice.

Remember to use a chamois or microfiber type cloth to avoid scratching the money.

The recipes of grandmothers
  • Baking soda
    Place the baking soda on a previously wet toothbrush and rub gently.
  • Ash of cold wood
    Same as bicarbonate
  • White vinegar
    Cover your silver jewelry with white vinegar. Leave 2 for hours.
  • Lemon juice
    Dip a toothbrush into squeezed lemon juice and rub gently.
The tricks of modern times
  • Coca
    Soak your silver jewelry in coca, for 1 minute. Wash them with soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
  • Toothpaste
    Cover the silver jewelry with toothpaste and let sit 30 minutes.
  • Beer
    Plunge your silver jewels into the beer. Leave it overnight.

The vision of the professional

All of these methods work very well for light oxidation. For a more intense jewelry maintenance there are baths for professional cleaning. However, it is preferable to avoid metal cleaning fluids that you will find in supermarkets because they are too corrosive. There are products dedicated to the maintenance of jewelry, such as products Hagerty, a brand specializing in the care of jewelry and precious objects. These items range from 7 to 10 euros.

 

Wink nature

Prefer maintenance of jewelry with natural products, which will not attack them. Regular maintenance of your jewelry with natural products should suffice. A little parenthesis concerning ultrasonic cleaners: this method, proposed in some jewelers, is not entirely natural, because the process is accompanied by a chemical bath.

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Mala necklace, how to choose?

Mala necklace, how to choose?

Composed of semi-precious stones, seeds or wood, the mala necklace can be very precious or extremely simple. The mala is a medium of meditation for Buddhists and Hindus. It is used to count the number of mantras recited in a loop. Buddhists use sound, the vibration of the voice, to channel the mind and detach it from the physical world. The recitation of mantras, these "prayers", is intended to bring calm and to direct the mind towards meditation.

Buddhists all over the world graze this rosary at various times of the day; and when not in use, wear it around the neck. A mala always stands with the left hand. It is degraded by pulling the grains toward you, symbolizing that one draws the beings out of the suffering and that one accumulates positive Karma during the practice.

Origins of the mala necklace

The term "Mala" is a word in Sanskrit (language of Hindu and Buddhist religious texts) which means “meditation garland”. Originally, malas were mostly used for a special style of meditation called “Japa” which means “to recite”. This is why malas are sometimes called japa mala.

How to choose the right size ?

When buying a mala on the internet it is difficult to realize the differences in size. The length of a mala necklace will be very different if the beads are 8mm or 6mm.

The length of a classic mala, with 108 beads of 8 mm will be about 50 cm, or 1 meter rolled. The length of a pearl mala 6 mm is about 35 cm, or 70 cm unwrapped.

The big differences between a mala multi-tower or mala necklace

The multi-tower malas that are worn on the wrist are elastic malas. This requires the mala to be very light. Multi-turn malas are usually composed of 6 mm beads or light seeds. Mala necklaces are made of 8 mm, 9 mm, or larger, threaded on thick and strong thread. It is often impossible to wear a traditional mala necklace in multi-turn wrist because the length rarely matches.

Why 108 pearls?

There are several reasons or concepts for the number of 108 pearls:

  • 108 feelings: according to Buddhists, there are 108 feelings. 36 in connection with the past, 36 in connection with the present and 36 in connection with the future.
  • Buddha has 108 names. In Hinduism, some gods also have 108 names.
  • Buddha had to undergo 108 trials to attain enlightenment.
  • According to Buddhism, there are 108 spiritual sufferings (kleshas).
  • In yoga or tai chi, there would be 108 positions or movements.
  • The Upanishads, this set of sacred and philosophical texts forming the theoretical basis of the Hindu religion, are 108.
  • Numbers 1, 0 and 8: In Hinduism, 1 represents god, 0 means emptiness and humility found in spiritual practice and 8 symbolizes the infinite.
  • In Buddhism, there are 108 sins to avoid, and 108 virtues to cultivate.

Cultural wink

For Christians, the rosary is an instrument of prayer. It is composed of 53 grains, 5 series of 10 prayers and 5 various prayer grains.

Among Muslims, the rosary or tasbih is used to recite the repetition including the names of Allah's names and the glorification of God after prayers. He stands with his right hand.

Small introduction to meditation

Fair trade jewelry blog

What is 925 silver?

925 silver is a standard, it equates to a silver content of the jewelry you buy. The silver used to make the jewelry can not be pure 100%, because it would be too soft. In order to be able to work it is added one or more alloying metals, copper most of the time.

In Europe, and in most countries of the world silver jewelry, are 925 silver. It is the 1er silver title, it has minium content of 92,5%. This is also known as Sterling Silver, Sterling Silver 925. Sterling silver, for example, is composed of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Sterling silver has been a silver category for jewelery in many countries since the XIIIth century.

How to recognize 925 silver jewelry?

We recognize the 925 silver jewelry with their punch. This punch displays the 925 number. He is struck inside the rings, on the clasps, on the back of the pendants and the earrings, etc. On extremely fine jewelry, it is sometimes impossible to hit this punch, so do not be too surprised.

How reliable is a 925 stamp?

A good question to ask! The 925 stamp is used all over the world but is not always controlled. In France, in Europe, and in Western countries, silver is subject to very strict rules. In France, it is the customs that manage everything related to gold and silver. The 925 stamp is therefore garanteed by strict rules and regulations. The jeweler's own stamp should be found as well on the jewelry.

The designations “silver”, which are not 925 silver

  • Bali silver (Bali silver): very often lower than 925 / 1000
  • Tibetan silver = silver metal with low silver content
  • German silver (German silver): a mix of copper and nickel / zinc containing very little or no silver at all.
  • Silver plated = the jewelry can be made of copper, brass or any metal, whith a thin layer of silver coating. This layer of silver may have various thickness, depending the quality of the jewelry. Silver plated jewelry are plated with 925 silver in Europe and Western countries.