Jewellery + Stone Care:
Each piece of
The Wild Path jewellery
is hand forged with love, care & made to last from recycled sterling silver & Earth made stones.
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For the Wild Within Your Soul.
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Love & wear your piece often so It can shine but to ensure you protect it It's best to avoid contact with harsh environments, oils/perfumes & silver polishing compounds. These elements may affect the look so it's best to remove your jewellery when coming into contact with any of these elements. Some stones, can be porous so it’s important to avoid allowing them to come into contact with liquids.
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When you wear your jewellery it naturally buffs the silver which is why you notice tarnishing more when a piece has been stored for a while. Use a polishing cloth to bring back the metals shine. To help prevent tarnish I have applied renaissance wax but tarnishing is normal process that will happen over time. Storing in an air tight container or zip lock bag is best and will help but a jewellery box is ok too. Occasionally silver can become heavily tarnished even when its being worn regularly, this is usually due to hot/humid weather and contact with the bodys natural oils. I recommend buffing it with the supplied polishing cloth daily & store properly (as advised above) at the end of each day. If you want to use any polishing compound on your piece or anti tarnish polishing cloth such as Town Talk there is a possibility it will change the appearance where oxidised, you can always drop me a message if you're unsure. Never use these on the stone.
If you need to clean the metal, less is more.. mild soap & water is fine on a soft cloth & dry fully immediately after. Do NOT submerge your gemstone.
Do NOT wear your jewellery in swimming pools, hot springs, shower or the ocean.
Turquoise:
Let's start with Natural Turquoise. Although truly natural turquoise is a rare find some of the stones I work with are natural, these are hard to source and make up a very small portion of the turquoise market, these should be treated with extra special care. Most specimens will be more porous when natural, turquoise is a compound that includes aluminium, copper, iron so water and oil over a long period of time can cause oxidation & the stones can change colour slightly, usually to more of a greeny tiny. It's nothing to worry about and adds to the beauty of truly Earth made turquoise.
Stabilised: Most turquoise on the market will be stabilised this means they have been strengthened and occasionally the process can permanently enhance the colour (not to be mistaken with dyed turquoise), your stone will be likely be stabilised unless stated as Natural in the listing. You should still take care to avoid contact with various substances.
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If you need to clean your stone dampen a soft cloth with warm water and and rub gently and dry immediately after. Do not use any polishing compounds, hot water, ultrasonic cleaners or steam to clean your stone.
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Opals:
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Australian Boulder Opal: The big one. Can you get your opal wet. Yes, you can but you do need to avoid chemicals. Lots of other non-Australian opals are very porous & soft but I'm yet to work with any of these. All my Boulder opals are solid opal, these are the most valuable because they are cut from natural stone without any treatment or enhancement. They should be handle with care but are more durable than doublets and can be submerged in water... although I would still insist on removing your jewellery before any activity that will get it wet.
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Doublets: Doublet opals consist of two parts and are a beautiful cost-effective alternative to solid opals. The top is a slice of genuine opal attached to a backing usually ironstone. It's important to understand how to care for them to avoid damage. As they're made of multiple layers glued together if your doublet is exposed to water it will eventually cause lifting between the layers and water damage (a cloudy look). You can wipe your doublet with a damp cloth but never submerged and always remove if exposure to liquid is possible. Doublets have their place in the market, come in stunning colours but the longevity and quality isn't comparable to a solid opal hence why the price is considerably cheaper.
It's important you know if your buying a solid opal or a doublet so you can give the necessary care and I will always be transparent in my listings.
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The more your piece is worn the more it will show signs of what I like to think of us love & history, all held within the metal to be passed on. I do advise removing your jewellery with semi precious stones if you're planning on any heavy duty activities,especially opals and natural turquoise. Some groves of history we may not want added to our Jewellery.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or if your piece needs a little more tender love and care you can always send it back to me for a polish-up.