Sterling Silver Pearls MOONLIGHT Cross Necklace

The best way to care for silver jewelry is to wear it often. The easiest way to clean silver jewelry, however, is by rubbing it with a silver polishing cloth. You may clean it by combining 1 tsp of mild dishwashing soap of your choice with 1 cup of warm water in a bowl. Let your silver jewelry soak for 15-30 minutes. Gently remove the silver and then lightly scrub with a soft, microfiber cloth until clean. Rinse off your silver jewelry with clean, room-temperature water then let dry on a clean, soft cloth.

Sterling silver is a mixture of pure silver and another alloy, usually copper. The pure silver is 92.5%, where other metal alloys such as copper make up 7.5%. Sterling silver is used in many fine jewelry designs.

Sterling silver does tarnish, especially when exposed to certain elements such as salty air, chlorine, perspiration, or even certain cosmetics. It’s therefore important to regularly clean and polish silver, or remove it when swimming, exercising, or even cleaning, so that your designs remain pristine for a lifetime. For basic upkeep, wearing silver jewelry often is best. Once removed, store in a jewelry bag or jewelry box as leaving it out and exposed to air accelerates tarnishing.

Although Cubic Zirconia gemstones are artificial, they are real stones. But they are not real diamonds, which are naturally-occurring, carbon-based gems.

Nevertheless, CZs do occur in nature, albeit rarely. They are sometimes found within zircon, a natural stone with high reflective properties. They also appear in tiny amounts within baddeleyite, a mineral found in black, yellow, brown, and colorless varieties.

In its natural form, the minute crystals in cubic zirconia are unstable stones that decompose quickly into other crystalline structures.

Every lab makes its CZs a little bit differently. However, making cubic zirconia gems requires hours of extremely high heat and zirconium oxide powder.

Lab technicians melt pure zirconium oxide powder with calcium and magnesium, minerals that act as stabilizers. The mixture is heated at 4,298 degrees Fahrenheit for hours until isotropic crystals form. Afterward, the crystals can be cut, shaped, and polished.

Although the two stones appear almost the same at a quick glance, there are a few essential differences and elements to consider, including:

Composition
Appearance
Cost

Cubic zirconia is considerably less durable than a real diamond. They can be worn daily for between 2 to 3 years and up to 5 years if someone wears them occasionally.

As cubic zirconia stones age, they tend to become scratched and cloudy. Exposure to dirt, oxygen, chlorine, and water will speed up the aging process and increase the likelihood of damaging the stone.

Caring for a cubic zirconia stone is necessary and simple. Keeping it clean requires mild dish soap, warm water, and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Mix a tablespoon of dish soap into a bowl of warm water and dip the CZ jewelry in it to coat the stone. Then, take the toothbrush and gently scrub the jewelry to remove dirt and hard water stains.

Once the stone is clean, rinse off the soap with clean, cool water to remove any soapy residue. Then, pat the jewelry dry with a clean rag or towel.

Regularly and carefully cleaning your cubic zirconia jewelry will help it last as long as possible.