Jewelry Care

DIY RHINESTONE CHAIN NECKLACE

You’ll need:
 22″ – 28″ of thick gold chain (also available here)
assorted sew on rhinestones in settings (also available here and here)
1 rhinestone or crystal brooch (with backs clipped off)
stiff felt sheet
2 jump rings
E6000
pliers
scissors
hole punch or rotary punch
wooden spoon & toothpickwire
clippers (optional)
tweezer (optional)

Start by squeezing a dollop of glue onto a wooden spoon. Use a little wooden dowel or toothpick and apply a generous amount of glue to the back of the largestrhinestone. I like to apply adhesives using this efficient and messy-less method instead of applying glue directly from the bottle.

Glue the larger rhinestones onto the felt, working from the center out. I personally like to keep the pattern symmetrical.

Continue adding smaller crystals and rhinestones to the pattern. The tweezers may come in handy for the smaller pieces and harder to reach areas.

Once the shape is complete, add the brooch or button to the center with more glue.

Allow to dry for a couple of hours. Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut around the pendant, leaving about two millimeters of space around the perimeter.

Find a place to leave extra space at the top, on either side, to attach the chain. Using a hole punch, pierce two small holes into the corners of the felt.

Open the jump rings with the piers, attach the felt and then close it around the end of the chain. Repeat on the opposite side. If the pendant is too heavy and the felt holes are pulling too much, adding grommets is a quick fix.

And . . . you’re finished with your crystal pendant necklace.
Necklace made by Erica.

You may think that faulty manufacturing or undertaking might be the problem when a gold costume jewelry "turns," black or discoloring either the skin, clothing or the jewelry itself. However, this is not the case. There are several reasons for discoloration of gold jewelry, such as metallic abrasion and corrosion, and they can sometimes be prevented with somegeneral care.

Metallic Abrasion

 The most common reason for jewelry "turning".It is caused by makeup on your skin or clothing. Cosmetics often contain compounds harder than the jewelry itself. These compounds wear or rub off very tiny particles of the precious metals. Very finely divided metal always appears black, rather than metallic, so it looks like a jet-black dust. When this dust comes into contact with absorbent surfaces such as skin or clothing, it sticks, forming a black smudge. To prevent this, you should try switching cosmetics. If this is not possible, we recommend that you remove your rings and other jewelry while applying your makeup, and then clean the skin areas which will be in contact with the jewelry with soap and water before putting the jewelry on.

Corrosion

Hairspray, perfume, perspiration, smog and other chemicals can also cause discoloration. In this case, the discoloration is the actual corrosion of the metals which are mixed, or alloyed, with the gold. Different gold manufacturers may use different alloy percentages. Gold itself does not corrode, or oxidize, but its primary alloy materials, silver and copper, will do so. When they oxidize they form very dark chemical compounds under moist or wet conditions.When you perspire, fats and fatty acids released in the perspiration can cause corrosion of 14 karat gold, especially when exposed to warmth. This problem can be worse in seacoast areas, where chlorides combine with the perspiration to form a corrosive element that discolors skin. Even smog fumes will gradually attack jewelry and its effect is evident as tarnish that rubs off on the skin. Under these conditions, we suggest that you remove your jewelry often, and use an absorbent powder which is free of abrasive compounds on the skin which comes in contact with the jewelry. Sometimes, the actual design of the jewelry can be an influencing factor. Wide shanks (the underside portion of the ring) have more surface area to contact abrasives or corrosives. Concave surfaces inside a shank form natural collection points that trap moisture and contaminants, and can also cause a type of dermatitis.


General Care

We suggest removing all jewelry before using soaps, cleaning compounds or detergents. keep your accessories in a jewelry box. Also have a jewelry coat to prevent accessories from fading fast and leaving that black mark on skin

Using Jewelry seal or Designa seal top coat will prevent your accessories from fading and leaving black marks.

HOW TO PREVENT DISSCOLURATION FROM JEWELRY

 Costume jewelry is made of cheap metal and they dont last for more than 2 years. now you can make it last longer. Using our top coat,your accessories will be as new as ever. when you purchase any accessories, make sure you apply this coat using a soft brush. Be sure you cover the jewelry completely and let it dry for 15 min.it is always best to let it dry 24 hours for best result before handing. A second coat may be applied after 45 min.

(DESIGNA SEAL protective top coat N2500 wholesale N2000)