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Polishing your Celtic design Jewelry – and Helpful Sizing Tips.

All sterling silver Celtic design jewelry tarnishes due to oxidation when exposed to air and the natural acidity in our skin. There are few very good polishes available that work well on silver, gold and other types of metals. Be careful with some of these liquid dip cleaners as some are much too harsh and can destroy your jewelry. To keep your pieces from tarnishing when not wearing them, make sure and place your jewelry in a small air tight plastic bag .

You don’t need to have a professional clean your jewelry. We recommend other options. Using a polishing cloth Is the simplest way to clean your jewelry and many times it’s all you need to do and will usually work on most of your Irish jewelry. It’s just a piece of cloth dipped in a polishing solution. You can find a polish cloth at some a retail or department stores or online.  If a little extra cleaning is needed, try using a soft- bristled toothbrush to get at those hard to clean area’s and crevices. By the way, when you place an order with for your favorite Celtic knot design piece, we include a free polishing cloth.

Homemade Ideas for cleaning.

Using Dish Detergent

The best homemade jewelry cleaning solution is a mixture of a few drops of dish detergent in warm, not hot, water. Let the piece sit in the solution for a few minutes, longer if it’s very dirty, then gently scrub with a new, baby-size, soft toothbrush or sponge. To rinse, place the item in a new container of lukewarm water.

Using Baking Soda

Baking soda mixed with hydrogen peroxide is a great cleaner and is a safe and effective cleaner when it comes to cleaning gold, silver, and costume jewelry. For best results, make it by adding drops of hydrogen peroxide to the baking soda, then rub gently on your jewelry. You can also just use baking soda by itself. Make a paste with the baking soda and and then scrub tarnished items, or soak semi-dirty pieces in the baking soda solution for a few minutes or longer.

Using Vinegar

Vinegar is another alternative to make your jewelry shine. Soak your Celtic ring or necklace in a mixture of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda for two to three hours. Rinse them under cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth This works for Gold as well, as it is unaffected by vinegar because it is a stable metal and will not react with oxygen. That means it will not change color, develop crystals, or become damaged.

Aluminum Foil Method

Another method to clean your Irish jewelry is by using aluminum foil: Simply line a small bowl with it. Fill the bowl with hot water and mix in one tablespoon of bleach-free powdered laundry detergent, not liquid. Put the jewelry in the solution and let it soak for a few minutes. then rinse well and air-dry. This procedure makes use of the chemical process known as ” Ion Exchange, which can also be used to clean silverware.  

Sizing Your Finger

Your ring finger size actually fluctuates throughout the day. Most people’s fingers will vary in size depending on temperature, blood circulation and fluid retention. So we always recommend taking your ring finger size a few times a day. If this is done this will ensure you record your accurate size and be fully confident in it. Daily temperature fluctuations can cause your fingers to swell during the summer and reduce in the winter so you need to be mindful of this. Your ring should fit your finger comfortably; snug enough so that it will not fall off, but loose enough to slide over your knuckle with some resistance. U.S. ring sizes follow a scale of numbers (and half numbers), typically from ring size 3 to 13.5 for adults. Women’s rings are commonly between sizes 3 and 9, while men’s rings are usually sized between 8 and 14. Those units match up to your finger’s width in millimeters: A ring size 3 fits a ring finger (or any finger) that is 14 millimeters across, and the sizes climb from there. The average ring size for women is between 5 and 7 and men is 10 and 13 but it’s always best to get an exact ring measurement before you make your purchase. The size of a finger is typically recorded in millimeters as to be precise as possible.

How to measure:

Tip – when two sizes seem to fit you for a given ring always go with the larger size. This is because it is easier to take the metal out of a shank than it is to add it in. You can measure your ring size using either some string or dental floss. Take one of these measurement tools and wrap it around the base of your finger, marking where the string or floss first overlaps with a pen. Then, line that up with a ruler and take down its length using a millimeters measuring ruler or tape. Foe example a woman’s size 6 would be (16.5 mm), and a man size 11 would be (20.6 mm).

*If these methods are not to your liking , then just email us at jimirishcharm@gmail.com, and we’ll send you a reusable finger sizing tool as well as a ring chart. ( Make sure to include your shipping address)