How to care for your handmade silver jewelry and semi precious jewelry

Take care of your Pangea Collection pieces by handling them in the same way as you would treat your other fine jewellery. One recommendation is to put your jewellery on as the final finishing touch to your outfit in the morning, and remove it before any other items at the end of your day. This helps to minimise the chance of damaging your jewellery by accidentally knocking it or allowing lotions, perfumes or other chemicals to come into contact with it.

Sterling Silver
A great deal of the Collection features Sterling Silver jewellery, either as accents to gemstones or as the sole material for a piece. Although silver prices have risen lately, it is still a relatively affordable precious metal and remains much less expensive than gold. In addition to its affordability, silver sets off the colour and texture of gemstones beautifully.

Silver is graded by its purity. Most commonly, Sterling Silver is stamped .925. The figure .925 refers to its purity, in this case 92.5 percent pure silver. 100 percent pure silver is too soft for making jewellery, and it is mainly for this reason that the remaining 7.5 percent in .925 Sterling Silver is comprised of other metal.

Silver is also a good option for people with sensitivities to some types of metals. Nickel for example, can cause skin irritations for some people. Sterling Silver does not contain nickel.

Another of Sterling Silver's advantages is that it will not “wear off”. It may tarnish over time, however some people enjoy the patina appearance that results from this process. If you prefer the look of polished silver, here are some tips to help you manage tarnishing.

Caring For And Cleaning Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver may tarnish over time, especially if it is not stored correctly. In order to minimise tarnishing, place your silver jewellery in an airtight plastic bag or inside a proper jewellery box. Some jewellery boxes come with an anti-tarnish liner. Another option is to purchase anti-tarnish strips which can be placed in your jewellery box.

To remove tarnish from your Sterling Silver, the use of a treated jewellery cloth is recommended. When using these cloths however, be careful to avoid prolonged contact with gemstones.

Caring For And Cleaning Gemstones
The strength and durability of a gemstone is dependent upon its structure, so the hardness of gemstones is variable. Some stones are quite fragile and can crack or chip easily. Fracture lines are inherent in some stones, so as a result you must be careful when wearing and storing your jewellery so that you do not knock it on a hard surface. This may cause it to break or chip.

A recommendation for cleaning your gemstones is to use a very small amount of mild, lukewarm, soapy water. After cleaning them in this way, polish your gemstones with a soft, lint-free cloth.