If you want your pieces of jewelry to last as long as possible it´s important to take care of them and to wear them with thought. Here you have a small guide about how you should think and what to do to get the most out of your jewelry.

Red & Rose gold

• When you are using your jewelry they will be scratched. You can always take them to a goldsmith to get them polished to look almost like new again. 
• Gold (red, rose and white) is a great option for jewelry and very durable. Perfect for example engagement or wedding rings. 

White gold

• Many companies and goldsmiths choose to coat their white gold jewelry with rhodium to get it more white. This means they put a very,very thin surface of rhodium on the piece of jewelry. This was a standard back in the days due to that white gold in its own color were very yellow. Nowadays the white gold has a very beautiful color itself, a bit more grey than silver. That´s why I have decided that my standard is to use the white gold as it is without rhodium, do you want rhodium you need to say so! If you choose to have rhodium to get the more white color you have to put a new surface of rhodium now and then (take it to a goldsmith). On a pair of earrings the rhodium surface could last for years while the rhodium on a ring maybe lasts a year or less depending on how you are using your ring. Also if there is rhodium on the jewelry the surface is very soft and easily looks scratched. That´s why I have decided to not use rhodium, I want your Malin Ivarsson Jewelry pieces not to require so much maintenance.
• When you are using your jewelry the will be scratched. You can always take them to a goldsmith to get them polished to look almost like new again. 

Silver

• Silver oxidizes (gets black) in time just by having contact with air. Therefor silver needs to get polished now and then. You can polish your silver jewelry yourself by buying a silver cloth or silver dip. I personally love silver dip where you just dip your silver for a few seconds and it gets all shiny again. But be careful, some gemstones and all pearls should never be dipped in a silver dip! The pearls and gemstones could be destoyed. You can always ask me for advice.
• Silver is a comparatively soft metal and therefor I never recommend to choose silver in your engagement or wedding rings. But if you have a silver ring, be extra careful when using it. Read more about when and when not to wear jewelry down below. 

Oxidized silver

• If you buy a piece of jewelry in oxidized silver you should know that the black is only on the surface of the piece of jewelry. So where the jewelry is constantly touching your skin the black surface will go away and a regular silver surface will show. This doesn´t have to be a bad thing, some people like it. But if you want it to stay all black you need to get it oxidized by a goldsmith now and then. If you have bought the piece of jewelry from me you can just send it to me and I´ll fix it for free. 

Gemstones

• If you have any kind of jewelry with gemstones in you need to clean it now and then to make the stone shine again. If you look at your gemstone jewelry and see that the stone looks dull, it´s time for a clean up. A clean-up you can easily do at home, just take a soft toothbrush with some dish soap on and gently brush around the stone. Focus the brushing under the stone, where most of the dirt most likely is. Rinse with warm water and gently dry as much as you can with a towel and then let it air-dry for a while.
• Some people can get eczema from not washing their jewelry. So be sure to keep your jewelry clean. 
• What kind of gemstone do you have in your jewelry? Different gemstones have different durabilities. Be sure to pick a gemstone that suits with your lifestyle. 

Pearls

• Pearls are magical, but also very fragile compared to most of the gemstones. This means you have to be careful what you do when you wear them. It´s important to not spray perfume on them, get lotion on them or anything like that. Pearls are very sensitive to chemicals. It´s a big no,no to dip them in silver cleaning dip! 
• For a everyday ring a pearl is not a good idea, but if you want that, be prepered to exchange the pearl for a new one now and then. 

When to not use jewelry

• Most people want to wear some kind of jewelry all of the time, but that is not a great idea. 
• Earrings - depends much on the size of the earring. Big and heavy earrings should not be used to long at a time. Small ones you can have all the time, even when you are sleeping if it feels comfortable. But remember to take them of an wash with dish soap now and then. 
• Necklace & Bracelet - Pretty much the same rules as for the earrings. Just remember to take them of at any activity where they could get stuck in something. 
• Rings - You are using your hands to many things and your rings will be very exposed to damage if you don´t take them of now and then. Example on things you better do without your rings: gardening, gym, baking, cleaning the house. If you have a very psysical job as a constructer or such, I recommend to leave your rings at home. 

If you have any question about the care of your pieces of jewelry, just send me an E-mail and I´ll help you!