Author: Jewel Envy

A continuation of one of our Blog Posts from April! See link below for our previous post.

Another product that is often used to remove tarnish is a chemical dip.

This is the harshest home removal method and proper care and consideration should be taken before using it. Dips are strong chemicals that can take off a fine layer of the metal (be aware they can remove plating over time and corrode some gemstones) but can also deposit a thin layer of chemicals that are difficult to remove.

If this thin film is not removed in the cleaning process the jewellery will tarnish faster than before, creating a cycle that will necessitate more frequent cleaning of your pieces.

To remove this layer of cleaner, pieces must be rinsed for a long period of time under clean water until the film is gone.

Chemical dips are corrosive, and gloves should always be worn when using them. As they are a strong cleaner for jewellery, they can damage some stones.

’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013

Hi fellow jewellery-lovers! My name is Laura Papworth and I’m a summer intern here at Jewel Envy. I’m going into my second year at George Brown in the Jewellery Arts program. Now that I’ve learned many of the technical skills that are integral to goldsmithing, I’m excited to get started on projects of my own which I envision will have lots of colour and fun shapes. My favourite project I did for school was a bezel set pendant. I’m very eager to experiment with more gem setting in the future. All of the jewellers here at Jewel Envy have amazing work that I’m already feeling very inspired by.

Showers bring flowers.

It is true in life, it is true in our hearts, and it is true at Jewel Envy.

Mother’s Day is next weekend (yes it is!), and the flower vendors will be ready, so we have picked out a beautiful bouquet of bloomy baubles for all of the Babas and Mamas in every genre.

We know exactly what we have in stock and what can be made within your timeline and budget, so don’t be shy to tell us what you are looking for when you drop by. This is what we do!

The Basics of Jewellery Care: Clean your Jewellery regularly

For years of wearability, jewellery should be cleaned frequently. It is not advisable to let a thick coating of black tarnish build up on your jewellery as it can eventually eat away at metals and create permanent damage to the piece.

There are a variety of methods for cleaning Jewellery. For light tarnish a polishing cloth is the least abrasive method. There are two types of polishing cloths, plain and with rouge embedded in them.

A plain cloth is perfect for weekly cleaning of your pieces. It must be a cloth designed for cleaning jewellery as the fibers in these cloths will not scratch the metal.

You would be surprised that some cloths can actually put scratches into silver and gold jewellery as they have hardness greater than the metals. Use a polishing cloth by rubbing it over the surface of your jewellery. Chains can be pulled through the cloth as you pinch them lightly between the cloth in your fingers.

For a slightly heavier cleaning use a cloth embedded with rouge. Rouge is a polishing compound used in the final stage of finishing jewellery. It can be used on all metals and on most gemstones (check with a jeweller first). After rubbing your jewellery with the rouge embedded side of the cloth rub the jewellery with the non-rouge side of the cloth to remove the compound. Wash your hands well after touching rouge as it is a strong chemical and can easily transfer to other items you subsequently touch.

If you find that the cloths are not removing the tarnish the next step is a metal cleaner that is rubbed on with a sponge under running water. Polishing compounds such as this remove a thin layer of the metal in the process of removing the tarnish. Be careful if you are cleaning plated jewellery as repeated polishing will remove plating over time.

’20 Tips on maintaining our Jewellery’, Gillian E. Batcher, 2013

On April 1st, Jewel Envy will be hosting an online auction!

Shafiq Sarwari, a goldsmith here at Jewel Envy, has been working to help bring his family to Canada. Currently living as refugees in Pakistan, Jewel Envy wants to help bring Shafiq’s family safely to Canada so that they can live without persecution of their beliefs.

Proceeds raised through our auction will support the Group of 5 sponsorship for his family’s move, as well as the local goldsmiths who work out of the Jewel Envy studio.

Here is a sneak peak of some items that will be featured:

More information on the auction to come this week – stay tuned!