AMBER JEWELRY: HOW TO CARE AND MAINTAIN THEM

The amber jewelry They are among the most beautiful that we can find in jewelry. Capable of pleasing the eye with a divine and unique appearance, playing with all shades of honey, golden yellow, warm brown and red. However, they are also one of the most delicate and soft jewels that exist. Therefore, if we want to preserve their shine and natural beauty for a long time, we must not only admire and use them, but also care for and store them properly.

For this, it must be taken into account that the amber jewelry they are able to breathe and interact with the environment. Therefore, they can change their color and age over time, becoming brittle due to age and their unique nature. So, it is necessary that the care of the amber jewelry become a habit for their owners.

If you are one of the lucky ones to have amber jewelry, You will be surprised to know that despite being very delicate, taking care of them could not be easier. Find out below how.

What is amber made of?

Before going into detail about how to care for and maintain your amber jewelry, it is important to understand what they are made of. Amber is not a precious stone itself, although it is called as such, but it is actually fossilized tree resin.

Its composition varies depending on the tree it comes from and it will be composed of different combinations of plant materials and fossil inclusions. Therefore, each amber is unique, although all types of amber have terpenes or compounds that are common in hardened resins. The most common source of amber is Baltic amber, which comes from the Baltic region.

Amber jewelry cleaning

Although it is delicate jewelry, it must be cleaned frequently to keep it shining, but you should know that it will only be maintained if it is cleaned properly. So, these are the tips to follow when cleaning your amber jewelry.

  • Never use an ultrasonic jewelry machine or steam cleaner as these can damage the enamel around the amber and cause considerable damage to the stone. Also, never try to clean your amber jewelry with hard materials such as paper towels or rough kitchen towels. And instead, use a soft flannel cloth exclusively to clean your jewelry, as this will prevent the cloth from getting stained by other materials.
  • To clean jewelry, mix slightly warm water and mild or neutral soap to form a solution. And then proceed to place your amber jewelry inside, using your fingers to wash off any residue. Trying to clean carefully and then completely dry the stone with a flannel cloth.
  • Be careful when cleaning your amber jewelry with water and soap. Avoiding soaking your jewelry for long periods of time (more than 10 minutes), as amber absorbs water. So prolonged exposure to water and especially hot water can cause excess moisture. Which can damage amber and make it appear cloudy.
  • Remember to treat your jewelry with the utmost care. Since amber has a hardness of 2.5 on the Mohs scale, which means that it is a very soft gemstone and can easily be scratched or deformed under mechanical influences. Likewise, if you find yourself in a situation where you think your amber stone could be easily damaged, it is best to err on the side of caution and not wear the jewelry.
  • After cleaning your jewelry, to polish and shine the amber. You can use a drop of olive oil and a different soft cloth to remove excess oil and give it a final polish. This polishing will not only help keep the amber looking good, but also prevent dirt build-up. But in case you don’t have olive oil, you can use another light oil like almond oil instead.
  • You must clean your amber jewelry after use to prevent oil buildup. Also, before storing them, make sure they are clean and polished to place them in your jewelry box.
  • If your amber jewelry they have yellow gold, sterling silver or even platinum, the instructions for cleaning them are the same. But of course you should clean separately, using the best cleaning methods for each metal (for example, a jewelry polish or silver cloth).

What not to do when wearing amber jewelry

As we have said, amber is very sensitive. So there are some things we can never and should never do when wearing our favorite amber earrings, necklaces or rings. So take note of the following:

1. Do not expose your jewelry to intense and prolonged contact with the sun

Although amber is known as a «sunstone», it should not be left exposed to intense and prolonged contact in direct sunlight. Since direct sunlight will secrete the oil inside the amber and vaporize the moisture it retains. This can result in it losing its color and shine over time.

Likewise, if you take off your jewelry, put it in a dark box and keep it away from the window. This will avoid direct rays and help prevent scratches.

2. Avoid extremely high or low temperatures

Too hot or too cold can damage the stone or cause the amber to break. So be sure to avoid exposing it to extreme cold or heat.

3. Never wear your jewelry when handling cosmetic products, or while applying cosmetic products

Soaps, cosmetic products and even perfumes will damage amber. Be sure to apply any products such as spray perfume and spray hairspray before putting on your jewelry. This way you can prevent drops of the product from falling on them and losing their shine forever. Likewise, never wear your jewelry to bathe and try to remove it before.

4. Avoid cooking or cleaning while wearing your jewelry

Heat and household chemicals, especially cleaning solutions and detergents, can destroy amber.

5. Never touch amber jewelry with dirty or food-stained hands

Since products such as sunflower oil, lard and other edible fats are especially harmful to amber. Therefore, they should be kept away from these products as much as possible.

Storing your amber jewelry

Amber is an extremely soft organic material. Therefore, the amber jewelry they should not be stored together with others with which they can rub, specifically because of metals. The best and most recommended is to keep each jewel in a separate solid box, upholstered in velvet. In this way we will prevent them from touching other materials in your jewelry box, scratching each other and the stones from cracking due to an accidental impact.

If you follow these simple guidelines, your amber jewelry will forever reward you with its brilliance and natural beauty.