IMPORTANT: When using jewelry cleaning products, always follow manufacturer's directions above all other instructions. Click Here to Reaserch Cleaner Properties.

ATTENTION: This Short Version of the cleaning instructions is solely designed for the cleaning of jewelry from Black Mountain Gallery and TheBlackMountainGallery.com. DO NOT employ these instructions when cleaning jewelry other than that obtained from Black Mountain Gallery and TheBlackMountainGallery.com. Cleaning non-Black Mountain Gallery and non-TheBlackMountainGallery.com jewelry according to these instructions could damage your jewelry. Black Mountain Gallery and TheBlackMountainGallery.com will not be held responsible for damage to non-Black Mountain Gallery and non-TheBlackMountainGallery.com jewelry cleaned according to these instructions.

ATTENTION: Only use liquid tarnish removers in a utility sink or similar basin not used for food preparation, drinking, bathing or for care of animals.

ATTENTION: Always follow the product directions over any advice given below.

Step 1. Wash jewelry thoroughly in warm soapy water (use a mild liquid dish soap).

Step 2. Thoroughly rinse jewelry.

Step 3. Place jewelry in plastic measuring cup (or similar container with a pour spout) large enough to hold the jewelry and tarnish remover without overflowing.

Step 4. Pour enough liquid tarnish remover into the measuring cup to submerge the jewelry.
DO NOT SOAK JEWELRY IN TARNISH REMOVER!

Step 5. Gently swirl the contents of the cup just enough to create a current in the cup, not enough to tumble the jewelry (do not put your fingers into the cup). Take care not to spin the liquid from the cup. If you do so, thoroughly clean the contaminated surface with soap and water.

Step 6. After 10 to 15 SECONDS (NOT MINUTES!), pour the tarnish remover into a separate sealable, clean, plastic bottle; or back into the original container.

We recommend using a new container to hold about 25% of the liquid as your active bottle, and refilling this bottle from the contents of the original bottle as the new bottle is depleted: this will keep the majority of the liquid in its cleanest and most effective state.

Step 7. Put a pea sized drop of mild liquid dishwashing soap into the measuring cup with the jewelry. Fill the cup with warm water while gently swirling the contents of the cup (do not put your fingers in the cup). Thoroughly irrigate the cup until all soap is emptied from the cup.

Step 8. Thoroughly dry jewelry. Allowing the jewelry to air dry can result in water spots.

Step 9. Store jewelry in a clean, dry place. Zip-lock bags provide the greatest protection from tarnish reoccurrence.

To determine how to clean your jewelry you must understand how it got "unclean." The most commonly accused culprit is tarnish (surface reaction to the oxygen in the air) but the most prevalent cause for discoloration and loss of luster is chemical. Numerous household chemicals (perfumes, colognes, hairsprays, detergents, cosmetics, smoke, lotions, oils, adhesives, solvents, pigments, stains, urethanes, pool chemicals, etc.) do far more to affect the condition of jewelry than does oxidation. Hand lotions and tanning products are designed specifically to be absorbed and thus they are excellent at causing discoloration not only on the surface but deep beneath the surface. Thus lotions can cause the most damage and be the hardest to clean/remove from your jewelry. Many of these substances coat the jewelry and trap luster-dulling dirt, perspiration and body oils on the surface. A more detrimental effect of this "coating" process is that it serves as a barrier to tarnish removers to get to the tarnish. The stubbornness of this barrier often compels people to soak their tarnished jewelry in liquid tarnish removers. DO NOT SOAK YOUR JEWELRY IN LIQUID TARNISH REMOVERS! Jewelry should not be in contact with tarnish removers for more than 15 seconds (NOT MINUTES!). Soaking can result in turning the jewelry far blacker than before. At this stage the jewelry must be professionally cleaned. (See Professional Servicing and Cleaning of Black Mountain Jewelry.)

Many cleaners that you use around the house are beneficial in removing many of the daily chemicals mentioned above. However, many are very hazardous to the health of your jewelry (not to mention to you as well). Just because you use "it" around the house doesn't mean you should assume you can use it on you jewelry. Mild dish soaps are ideal for removing built-up lotions, oils and dirt. That's right, dish soap; a sink full of warm dish soap will work just as well on your jewelry as it does on your dirty dishes. NOTE: with new products coming out all of the time, you should use caution in selecting such a soap. To promote sales through novel products, the industry often adds "special" ingredients to many cleaners to give them added properties; as we cannot speak for the effect these emollients, dyes, perfumes, disinfectants, etc. might have, we encourage that you select the simplest form of soap offered. While any of the dish soaps on the market will certainly adequately remove chemical and oil build-up, some of these "special" ingredients can themselves leave residue that will dull the luster of metals and stones. Once you have selected your detergent, you should always test the soap on small, inconspicuous location of a single piece before you immerse all of your jewelry.

Liquid Tarnish Removers are designed solely to eliminate the discoloration caused by exposure to oxygen. They are not a detergent and will not "clean" your jewelry. Exposure to tarnish removers can not only be damaging to your metal jewelry but it can destroy delicate materials and many kinds of stones.

ATTENTION: DO NOT USE TARNISH REMOVERS ON OR NEAR STONES UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THEIR CONSTITUTION.

ATTENTION: ALWAYS FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ON PRODUCT LABEL REGARDING STONES.

Detergents and tarnish removers clear the surface of your jewelry of dulling residues; they don't actually shine the surface. Often times, cleaning the jewelry will appear to have polished it. But in fact it has merely revealed the already shinny surface beneath the build up. Polishes remove scratches and create a smooth, reflective surface. Paste and lotion polishes are neither practical nor effective in shinning jewelry. The small links and tiny, detailed spaces merely serve as recessed reservoirs for the polishing compounds to collect; this only ends up increasing the difficulty of the cleaning process. Some companies offer tarnish preventatives (glazes) that coat the jewelry and claim to keep tarnish from reforming. We don't recommend these products merely for the fact that they can build up just like polishes. Polishes and tarnish preventatives might be best suited for service wear and large, metal display pieces (plaques, trophies, etc.). Polishing cloths use the same tarnish removers found in liquid form. Eventually this chemical denatures and the cloth becomes embedded with grit and grime. At this point these cloths are no better than a fine-grain sandpaper. A dirty polishing cloth will dull your jewelry more than it will shine it. Everything from toothpaste to peanut butter has been used to polish metal. Just as with all of the polishes, they really only remove debris from the jewelry surface because of the cloth or brush and elbow grease with which you are using to rub the jewelry clean. And, again, you still have to clean off all of that goop once you're done "polishing" with it. For jewelry, stick with liquid cleaners. If you do have a stubborn build up of polishes and the like, ammonia and the judicious use of an old toothbrush can do much to dislodge this kind of residue. Note: take care when using a brush, it can scratch smooth surfaces.

Ultrasonic cleaning machines use sound waves and mild cleaning solutions to gently loosen caked-on deposits. Be sure to use the included plastic basket so that your jewelry doesn't rub dull spots on it while it vibrates against the surfaces of the cleaning container. Likewise, it is very important that the cleaning solution being used is appropriate for the type of jewelry you are cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaning machines can be purchased inexpensively at most drug and discount stores. Rotary tumblers use tiny stainless steel shot to mechanically clean all of the jewelry's surfaces, and are the ultimate method of cleaning. The only two drawbacks to a rotary tumbler are: they can be rough on very fine and delicate items, and they can be expensive.

For those items that require attention above and beyond that which is outlined in Cleaning see Professional Servicing and Cleaning of Black Mountain Jewelry .

Special Care of Stones

IMPORTANT: When using jewelry cleaning products, always follow manufacturer's directions above all other instructions. Click Here to Reaserch Cleaner Properties.

ATTENTION: DO NOT USE TARNISH REMOVERS ON OR NEAR STONES UNTIL YOU ARE SURE OF THEIR CONSTITUTION.

ATTENTION: ALWAYS FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ON PRODUCT LABEL REGARDING STONES.

Metamorphic stones generally epitomize what most of us think of when we think of a gemstone: smooth, glassy, (often) translucent and faceted surface. These stones, like diamonds, emeralds, onyx and opals, are formed when various elements from the earth are subjected to extreme heat and pressure. Having been created under such extreme conditions makes them uniquely resilient and resistant to the wear and tear you might put them through.

Click Here to Learn More About Your Diamonds

However, just because the original stone is very "strong" doesn't necessarily mean that its color and luster will endure the cleaning you have planned for it. This is because many metamorphic stones, such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires, are treated to enhance their color or surface quality. Different treatments, such as dying, oiling and irradiating, can vastly improve the appearance of the stone, but they are not durable enough to withstand harsh chemicals or even strong abrasion. In fact, given enough time and wear, these stones will invariably need to be retreated to restore them to their original color and luster. Properly cared for treated stones can take many years to gradually shed their "treatment;" by the time the surface has "worn off" you probably won't even realize it has changed. As a rule metamorphic stones, such as diamonds, are nonporous and are not likely to soak up liquid chemicals and oils.

Click Picture to Learn More About Gemstones

Sedimentary "stones," such as turquoise, lapis, malachite and even pearls, are extremely porous and quickly soak up oils and liquids. Usually, sedimentary stones are opaque (light cannot pass through them), which you might think is a good way to distinguish them from harder (and usually safer to clean) metamorphic stones, but many metamorphic stones (like onyx) are also opaque. Sedimentary stones are usually cut into slabs. While diamonds and onyx are more glass-like, or more specifically, crystal-like; a sedimentary stone is easily rendered into a fine chalky powder when crushed. The surface might appear as smooth and glossy as a much harder and nonporous metamorphic stone, but its composition is much more vulnerable to chemical agents. This fragility is due to the nature of its formation. Sedimentary stones usually form as layers of fine particles accumulate (often at the bottom of bodies of water) and over much time harden into strata of "stone." When, and if, this sediment gets packed deep enough in the earth, great pressure and heated can change them into metamorphic stones: just as sedimentary coal is transformed into metamorphic diamond.

Metamorphic Agate Cabochon