Putting on a Cuff Bracelet
My video cuts off at 60 seconds. When I figure out how to put up longer videos, I will update.
From experience, let me just say that it’s a great idea to know how to put on a cuff bracelet without making adjustments with each wear. One of my first bracelets, I would slightly open the bracelet and put it on, then squeezed to fit just right which created a tiny crease. Eventually, the small crease grew to a larger crease, then eventually just broke off. this was from bending the bracelet over and over.
The Zuni Channel-Inlay bracelet is one bracelet that you should not BEND or adjust at all. Buy one that is your cuff size (your wrist measurement minus 1-inch).
Jewelry Care
Sterling silver will naturally tarnish from the sulphur that’s in the air. To minimize tarnished silver jewelry, I recommend leaving your jewelry in moisture-free bags such as a simple zip-lock bag. I send my jewelry out in small zip-lock bags just for that reason. Remove your jewelry when washing your hands, taking a shower, and during exercise to help minimize tarnish from soap/lotions/sweat and also, to protect from losing or damaging your stones. Some stones on the jewelry are porous stones which can soak up oils from your skin and/or products. Natural turquoise stone is an example of porous stone. Natural turquoise may slightly deepen in color after years of wear. Unfortunately, stones are not as hard as you may think. When wearing your stone-set jewelry, take extra care not to hit it against hard surfaces, avoid dropping your jewelry, and remove during handwashing and showering.
When silver is tarnished, I recommend a dry silver polishing cloth, such as Sunshine Polishing Cloth. If your jewelry is all silver (no stone settings) then liquid and paste jewelry polish are fine. Some stones are set with saw dust in the bezel cup. When emerged in liquid, the saw dust will expand and push out the stone. Porous stones will soak up oils from cleaners which may damage the stones.
Handling your jewelry with love and care will extend the life of your jewelry. In the Navajo culture, jewelry is “alive and has character”, and grandparents teach to treat it with respect and care. Enjoy your jewelry.
Caring for Slab Earrings
The slab earrings I have available on my page are pieces of stones that are compressed together to create one large block of stone. The artist then cuts them into thin slices to grind them down to create the different shapes for animal fetishes or earrings. I like to get the turquoise/spiny oyster OR turquoise/apple coral OR mohave turquoise (treated turquoise that turns purple). All stones are small pieces of genuine turquoise, shells, and apple coral.
Slab earrings can break if dropped, or handled roughly. To make your earrings last, I recommend hanging them in a safe place when you are not wearing them. Or place them where they won’t slide and hit other pieces of jewelry. A popular storing place for these earrings is a purse, that’s one place I don’t recommend. When the stones hit against each other, it may break the stones.