Caring for your Amber Teething Necklace
Because of the softness of amber, its brittleness, and its susceptibility to attack by various chemicals and oxidation, amber teething necklaces require some special care in handling and storing.
Amber beads should not be stored where they will rub against metal or other pieces of jewellery. Soft flannel or velvet pouches made with drawstring tops are best for storing and protecting each individual amber bead.
To remove dust and perspiration from amber beads, simply wipe them with a soft flannel cloth dampened with clean lukewarm water. They should be dried carefully and rubbed lightly with clear olive oil, then rubbed with a soft cloth to remove excess oil and restore the polish.
Avoid placing amber in any strong solutions and do not allow amber to come in contact with perfume or hair spray. Commercial jewellery cleaning solutions should not be used on amber. Never use hot water for cleaning amber. Keep away amber from direct sun light. Sun light may change the colour of amber over long periods of time and may cause it to lose its polish.
Cleaning instructions
Two containers of water.
A toothbrush
Some liquid Soap
Some olive oil.
And a few towels
Mix a small amount of liquid soap in the water, dip it in the soap and water mixture, and scrub the amber gently, concentrating in between the amber beads. Rinse off any residue from the soap, by washing off the amber in your other container of water. Take a small amount of olive oil, apply it to your finger, and work it into the beads. This will give a beautiful lustre to the amber. Be careful when cleaning Amber has an approximately Mohs Hardness Value of 2.5, which means it’s very soft, and can be scratched.
Article adapted from therussianstore.com