Summer mornings

How to clean silver jewelry

When new, jewelry is like a white paper: not a single scratch. Later, the atmosphere gives it a patina and the world imprints its marks.

From time to time I like to clean my jewelry but I almost never do it at the workshop. I prefer to give it a home treatment and for that I need:

metal polishing paste, the one you can buy at the supermarket.
a soft tooth brush
hot water
soap, the soap to wash dishes is perfect because it takes grease away.
a towel or soft napkin
a soft cloth, like the special cloths made to polish metals

In one corner of my cloth I put some polishing paste and begin cleaning the jewelry. If there is a textured surface or difficult to reach corners I use a tooth brush with a little polishing paste.

With other corner of the cloth I remove the polishing paste and now I can see how the jewelry begins to shine.

Then I put it in a bowl with hot water and soap. I give it a minute and with a clean tooth brush I go over the surface and the details which still have some polishing paste.

Before rinsing, something really important, be careful, pay attention: COVER THE SIPHON.
Jewelry loves to travel down the drains, and that is very very sad.

Next, I dry the jewelry very well with a soft towel and give it a last polish with a dry, clean corner of my special cloth.

An important suggestion: don't pass jewelry with stones or glass from very hot water to cold water. It shouldn't normally happen, but in case the stone or glass has a hidden fracture the temperature shock could crack it.

This cleaning treatment can be used to clean gold jewelry as well.

Sometimes the home treatment is not enough because some jewelry has very difficult places to reach with a brush. Then the best option is to take it to a jewelry shop and ask for an ultrasonic cleaning.

It is unavoidable for silver jewelry to tarnish; it is in the nature of the metal and it can be beautiful. Keeping jewelry stored in a closed, dry place can help slow down the oxidation process.

Pretty Shoes

I wore them to cheer myself up. That was on Wednesday. I kept on looking at them every time I felt I had no more energy and for 2 seconds everything was perfect.
My week that far was being really disappointing. I am not an expert on certain digital arts so I've been learning everything by myself, with tutorials and tinkering all around; but it has taken too long.
On Wednesday I thought phase one of this project I'm working on would be ready. NO!!!!. Sad and furious I closed my computer and decided to quit and take Thursday off.

Yes, A day by the pool, mental emptiness and relax.

So yesterday was a day spent sleeping under the sun, eating cherries, peaches and prunes, by a pool that was too cold for my Caribbean taste, watching the little Germans play and splash.
Sometimes I forget that it's necessary to let the body lie heavy on the ground, be alone and watch the clouds.

Today I feel energized; ready to begin again. So hopefully very soon I will be announcing a victory. Guess what I'm wearing to celebrate this new attempt?

aren't they beautiful???

In case you were wondering: they were a Christmas gift from my mother in law, from Fanatica, a very interesting store in Bogota.

Fractals and Gems

This necklace is made up of 2.000 diamonds and sapphires and it took 1.500 hours to complete it.
The design: fractals. The designer: Marc Newson.
What can I say, apart that I need to see a closer image of this master piece from the house Boucheron.

via The Moment

It's this

Yes, you were right. It's broccoli. The kind of structure you can navigate imagining you are flying inside a tiny ship.


And look at the minuscule buds that create the broccoli head.

Peach

Apart from repeating the experience of eating one, three, maybe ten juicy, sweet and gooey peaches I intend to finish phase one of the mysterious project I am working on for Lirio.

Sun bathing a little bit on my balcony wouldn't be a bad idea. I love summer!

What's this?

Guess.
Tomorrow I will give the answer although it seems pretty easy to guess.