If you're looking at the photos above, you might ask: why do I have a regular toothbrush, a scary-looking toothbrush, an unidentifiable grey nugget, and sandpaper in my studio? For POLISHING of course! How can you use these at home? Fine Grade Steel wool (the grey nugget) is a jewelry collector's best friend. It's an affordable and easy option for removing any tarnishing that can build up on your silver pieces over time. Just gently brush a small chunk of steel wool over your piece (make sure to avoid the stones), and blow away any debris (or, find a clean, dry toothbrush to brush it off with). The brass brush can also be used to brush away any...
*COVID UPDATE*I typically recommend going to a jewelry store to get your fingers professionally sized. However, I understand that may not be possible for many of us due to COVID restrictions and stay-at-home orders.I am offering FREE at-home ring sizers that are trusted by many other jewelers in the industry. To request a FREE RING SIZER email third.hand.silversmith@gmail.com with the subject line "Ring Sizer" and include your name and mailing address. Figuring out your ring size can be tricky. It's a number you need to know when shopping for rings online, but requires a standardized set of ring sizers--which I'm guessing most of you don't have just laying around. Many online resources suggest different tips and tricks for finding your...
Safe and easy jewelry cleaning and care can seem impossible to figure out for jewelry lovers everywhere. Pinterest is flooded with blogs about how to clean your silver jewelry using baking soda and lemon juice, or toothpaste and aluminum foil...what?! I'm excited to share with you how I recommend you maintain and clean your Third Hand Silversmith pieces, as well as how I clean my own sterling silver jewelry. As a metalsmith, I wouldn't trust my own jewelry with these DIY experiments for a few reasons: They're difficult to measure accurately, and truly aren't as potent as the liquid jewelry cleaners they attempt to replace. More importantly, using these DIY cleaners on jewelry that have porous natural stones such as turquoise can destroy the...
The Holiday season is here. It's been on the minds of small business owners for a few months now. We start thinking about it so early, because for most of us, late November and December sales get us through the slow Fall and Spring months of the New Year.If you plan on doing a majority of your Holiday Shopping this week, consider the quality or meaningfulness of the items you're buying. Consider what the recipient might do with the gift you give them in 1 month, 6 months, even years down the road. Will it end up being a treasured item? My passion for handmade items is ultimately what led me to become a small business owner myself. But these tips don't just...
