Fossilized Ivory Care
HOW TO CLEAN FOSSILIZED IVORY
Care instructions for your Fossilized Ivory Jewelry - How to Clean Ivory
Cleaning your jewelry is a simple process and will keep your fossilized ivory in perfect condition. Due to the natural state of ancient fossilized ivory, clean your jewelry only with a clean soft cloth. Care should be taken not to get black tarnish from the sterling silver on the cloth as this can transfer to the ivory, which will alter the natural earthen tones present in your jewelry. Do not use jewelry cleaners, chemicals, soaps, or detergents on your fossilized ivory, as they will most likely negatively affect the beauty and character of your jewelry.
- You may clean the ivory using a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to gently wipe the ivory. Again, take care to not get any black tarnish from the silver on the Q-tip as this can transfer to the ivory and potentially damage its unique and beautiful character.
- Ivory is a porous, organic material, so you may want to treat it with a very light coating of olive oil every few years. While this step is not required, it will significantly prolong the life of your fossilized ivory jewelry and will help prevent any tarnish from the sterling silver from getting into your jewelry.
- To remove tarnish from the sterling silver, use a Q-tip and apply jewelry cleaner only to the silver, taking care not to get any cleaner or black tarnish from the silver on the ivory. Do not soak or submerge your fossilized ivory jewelry, because both ancient mammoth ivory and fossilized walrus ivory are porous, organic materials that will absorb cleaners, solutions, etc and may potentially damage your ivory.
- It is important to store your ivory out of direct sunlight, and to avoid extreme heat, moisture and soaking. Again, fossilized ivory is a naturally porous, organic material and can be damaged through improper storage, cleaning, and maintenance. Taking good care of your fossilized ivory jewelry is the best way to maintain its unique individual character, coloring, and beauty. Fossilized ivory takes anywhere from 500 to 15,000 years to develop its unique character, and we recommend treating this precious, limited resource with care and love.
By following these simple steps on how to clean ivory and care for your fossilized ivory jewelry, you ensure it has a long and beautiful life for years to come.