Material & jewelery care
Jewelry Care - General
"I have made a small guide where you will be able to read about the materials and my recommendations for jewelry care and maintenance. I hope you can take a lot with you from this, so that your jewelry will be beautiful for many, many years."
If you have specific questions or if you can't find the answer to your question here, please contact me."
Signe Abrahamson
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As with everything else, it is also a good idea to take good care of your jewelry and know the proper care, which can vary depending on the material of the jewelry. The correct care allows you to enjoy your jewelry for many years to come. The best care is to use your jewelry with care.
I always recommend taking off your jewelry when you sleep, exercise, do hard physical work, bathe, or (and) do other things that can cause wear and tear on your jewelry. Sleeping with your chains on puts the small chain links at risk of damage, as the chain is exposed to stretching in the joints when you lie down on the chain. The chain wears out and breaks more easily.
Gold and silver
I work mostly in gold and always in 18 karat gold. Occasionally we also work in silver. Both are good and classic jewelry materials, but they are still very different in their properties, durability and prices.
Gold
My gold jewelry is always in 18 carat gold, whether it is the beautiful regular gold (called red gold in Danish and yellow gold in English) or the beautiful hot-annealed white gold. They are all stamped with SA (for Signe Abrahamson) and with 750 (which indicates that there is 75% gold in the alloy).
Gold is a hard and durable material that comes in different alloys and therefore also different colors. Alloy means the mixture that the gold is composed of. The two gold colors I use are both an 18 carat alloy. One is the beautiful warm and golden color, called regular gold and which we also call 18 carat red gold. The other is white gold, which has a grayish color and can be a bit reminiscent of the color of steel and has a nice undertone due to the heat from the gold. I do not rhodium-plate my white gold jewelry, as it is a layer of material that is placed on the outside of the jewelry and which wears away with use. I do not prefer this maintenance, but if you want this, please let me know.
Since gold is a strong and hard material, you get a piece of jewelry that can be enjoyed for many years. That is also why we recommend wedding rings and engagement rings made of gold, so that they are made of solid materials that will last for many years. Be aware that gold, despite its hardness, can also wear out and be damaged. Surfaces will change with use. Finger rings in particular are more exposed jewelry and will therefore change over time. For example, matte surfaces become more shiny and vice versa. Gold chains are strong chains, but can also break if they are pulled or otherwise caught on something.
Silver
I rarely make silver jewelry, but if you wish, you are always welcome to ask me.
Silver is a very soft material and is therefore not as durable as gold. Silver jewelry can still last for many years, but it is just more fragile and scratches more easily than gold. Silver jewelry is made of sterling silver and stamped with 925, which can be in a bright and an oxidized variant.
Oxidation is a dark, almost black, surface treatment that gives the jewelry an antique look. As you wear the jewelry, the oxidation will slowly wear away beautifully, adding a beautiful patina look as the oxidation remains in corners and small cracks.
Diamonds
Diamonds are the most sought-after gemstone and it is understandable. Diamonds were created over 3 million years ago, far below the surface of the earth, where they are formed under high heat and pressure. Here they are compressed into their beautiful and raw natural form.
I am a huge fan of natural diamonds. I do not use "lab-grown" diamonds and buy them from dealers I have great trust in over many years of cooperation. The diamonds are typically cut and purchased in Antwerp, which is a large and well-known diamond area.
I select all diamonds in all their different shapes, colors and sizes. Diamonds are the most amazing and beautiful naturally created minerals, which means that their quality, colors and hardness can vary. Diamonds have small “impurities” inside the diamonds (also called inclusions), which are a natural thing from nature in every diamond. Fewer inclusions mean that the diamond is extra strong and durable. The probability of a diamond breaking is therefore greater the more inclusions there are and vice versa. The possibility that a diamond can break from an unfortunate blow is therefore unfortunately not abnormal despite its hardness. I therefore recommend that you wear your diamond jewelry with care. Below are descriptions of the different colored brilliant cut diamonds.
We work with many different types of diamonds.
Raw diamonds, rose cut diamonds, champagne colored, black, gray and white diamonds.
Diamonds
Diamonds called brilliants are the classic round diamonds that have a brilliant cut. They come in many color variations, sizes and qualities. In our jewelry you will most often find white TW vvs, warm natural champagne or deep black brilliants.
White diamonds
The white diamonds with brilliant cut are in the good quality called TW vvs, which is one of the best qualities. This means that the diamonds are very clear, have a nice cut and have very small almost invisible inclusions in the diamonds. These white classic diamonds have a white and cold undertone and shine a lot.
Champagne-colored diamonds
Champagne diamonds are diamonds with a natural golden/brown color and can therefore have a less varying color nuance from stone to stone, which is incredibly beautiful. These diamonds are warmer in undertone than the pure white ones and look incredibly beautiful together with red gold jewelry. We also use lighter variants of these champagne colors in some of our jewelry and they are called TTLB and TLB. TTLB stands for top, top light brown and TLB, top light brown.
Black diamonds
Black diamonds do not sparkle as much as they absorb light instead and therefore it is the facets of the diamond that reflect the light. Black diamonds come in two types, the completely colored black and then the natural Fancy black. Both stones are 100% natural, but the color of the former has come as a result of heat treatments. A heat treatment is most often used on a less good quality diamond and is also a normal process on other colored diamonds and gemstones, such as rubies. These heat treated black diamonds are therefore cheaper and more fragile than both the champagne colored and white diamonds.
I use the black ones because they are still a diamond with a certain durability, as they are harder than other semi-precious stones and because they are so beautiful and graphic when set in a golden piece of jewelry. I often use these black diamonds in the small brilliant cuts or in the slightly larger sizes with a beautiful rose cut. The rose cut on the diamond makes the light reflect even more on the black diamond and is really beautiful.
Natural Fancy black diamonds come in the colors they were found in from nature and are often what we call unique piqué diamonds because they are so unique and individual, often with a number of inclusions that form beautiful patterns inside.
Rough diamonds
Raw diamonds don't sparkle much as they come in their natural form, which is usually a cubic shape. The ones I use most often are piqued, meaning they are not transparent but "milky". They come in the most beautiful and natural colors and are very unique, especially in the larger sizes.
Pearls
I love pearls and that all pearls are different. I only use the best and most beautiful ones and I handpick each pearl myself because they are so unique. Pearls are gemstones consisting of organic, living material, which, as the word "living" indicates, can also fade if you do not treat them properly. If you take good care of your pearls, they will retain their natural, high shine. So that they retain their natural shine. The most important thing to maintain their natural shine is to avoid contact with perfume, other cosmetic products and cleaning agents, as these are harmful to the mother of pearl and can make the pearl dull. Therefore, take the pearls off when you shower and swim. Furthermore, I would recommend cleaning your pearls once in a while. Wipe the pearls gently with a damp cloth simply rinsed in clean, slightly warm water. Pearls that are glued into either pendants, rings, earrings or other things should avoid all direct contact with water.
I also recommend that pearls are stored separately in a box without the possibility of being scratched by other jewelry. The best maintenance for pearls is to give them love by walking with your pearls. This way they get moisture from the air and your skin, which keeps them "alive".
With this in mind, your pearls can live for centuries.
Pearls are hard, but can also be damaged in the pearl's nacre by impact or other contact with hard objects.
Pearl necklaces and pearl bracelets on silk cord:
We string pearls on the classic pearl silk cord and give a light and beautiful look. Pearl silk cord is what has been used for many years, as it is well suited for pearls, but you should be aware that the cord becomes soft over time, gives in length and at some point it breaks if it is not replaced. I therefore recommend that you look at your pearl jewelry at regular intervals. If there are gaps between the pearls because the cord has given in length, remember to have your pearl necklace re-threaded with new and fresh silk cord.
If you wear your pearl jewelry a lot, I recommend that you have the silk cord changed once a year .
The larger and heavier the beads and the more frequently the jewelry is worn, the more often the jewelry should be wrapped with new silk cord.
Avoid getting the silk string wet, from e.g. rain, dew or moisture from the skin, so the silk string will last longer.
I recommend making knots on the silk cord between each bead. This way the beads won't wear up and down on each other, it will also look nicer and the silk cord will last better.
The clasp uses either gold beads or spiral cord, both of which are intended for pearl jewelry on silk cord. The spiral protects the silk cord at the clasp and is nice and simple in look. It is a thread that is gold-plated and that will eventually need to be replaced. It usually happens that this is the time when the silk cord also needs to be replaced and then both cord and spiral are replaced and the jewelry becomes almost like new. Some may experience that this spiral at the clasp becomes darker in color over time. This may be due to our skin pH value. Some people have a higher skin pH value than others. This may be due to medication or other natural things and is very individual from person to person. If you have a high body pH value, you simply need to have the jewelry rewound and the spirals replaced a little more often. The pearl beads are small "hollow gold balls" where the silk cord is attached. These beads are made of 18 karat gold and can be reused when the cord needs to be replaced.
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If you have any further questions about materials, jewelry care or anything else, you are always welcome to visit us in store, send us an email or call us.
