Does hand crafted jewelry require extra care?
All jewelry should be handled with care and, Yes!, jewelry that has been made by hand can be more fragile than jewelry mass-produced by machine. For instance, hand-woven, beaded bracelets and necklaces should be handled carefully so as not to stretch the stitching and distort the even-tensioned flow of the design. Sterling silver jewelry will tarnish over time (a natural occurrence). Although if your jewelry has been deliberately oxidized by the designer to give it an “antiqued look”, that finish may come off eventually if you use a polishing cloth on it. On the other hand, if your piece is not intentionally oxidized and you want to maintain the shine, you can prevent or forestall the oxidation process by including a tarnish retardant paper strip in a plastic zip-lock bag where you store your Sterling silver jewelry. To restore shine to tarnished jewelry, use a silver cloth impregnated with polish and a fair amount of “elbow grease.” Sterling silver wire-wrapped jewelry can also stretc
