How to Take Care of Your Eighth Ray Ritual Amulets
and Ritual Altar Items
Ritual amulets
To keep your Eighth Ray Ritual Amulets in top condition please use the following guidelines:
1. Be careful with exposure to excessive heat and light
Just as the Sun’s rays can damage our skin, the sun can also damage stones and other organic materials in your jewellery. Stones such as Amethyst, Topaz and others, as well as other materials can bleach or become damaged in other ways if left in the Sun for too long. This does not typically happen while you are wearing them, but more so in the case if they are left sitting in the Sun for a period time.
2. Keep your amulets away from chemicals
Cosmetics such as hairspray, perfume and moisturiser can contain chemicals that can damage your amulets. Swimming pools that contain chlorine can also be damaging to your amulets as can soaps and household cleaning products. The best idea is to remove your amulets before they can be in contact with any of these substances.
3. Be careful when you wear your amulets
Amulets can be knocked or scratched in everyday situations and often these are pure accidents which are hard to avoid. But we advise you to remove your amulet if you think it may come into harms way. We also advise you take your amulet off before sleeping, showering, swimming or taking a bath.
4. Always store your amulet well
Keep your amulet separately in a soft velvet bag or in a jewellery box. If your jewellery is able to rub against each other it can easily get tangled or damaged. Store in a cool, dry place that is not in direct sunlight.
5. Take care while traveling
Everything is in motion when we travel so make sure you store each piece separately and securely so that it can’t get tangled or rub against anything which may cause damage.
6. Cleaning tips and guidelines
We recommend using a soft jewellery-specific polishing cloth to polish your amulet. You can use cleaning products made specifically for each metal, but be extremely careful in the way you do this and follow the instructions on the product. You can also clean your amulet gently with warm water and a mild soap (not detergent) and a very soft brush such as an artist paintbrush or an unused makeup brush. To help prevent tarnishing you can store each piece in a small sealed plastic bag, or use anti-tarnish strips which can absorb the oxidants that cause tarnishing.
7. Regularly inspect your amulet
It’s a very good idea to give your amulet a good inspection every so often to make sure that there are no problems about to arise. Rather than waiting for a stone to fall out or something else to go wrong, a quick inspection can often reveal an accident waiting to happen. Then you can get the problem fixed before it’s too late.
8. Keep an inventory of your collection
Jewellery can easily get misplaced or lost, and of course stolen. If you keep an up to date inventory of your collection (which can just be a quick photo with your phone) this can help when tracking down pieces and of course with insurance claims.
Ritual altar items
To keep your Eighth Ray Ritual Altar Items in top condition please use the following guidelines:
1. Cleaning needs to be careful but complete
All silver-plated items are prone to tarnishing, as the chemicals from daily use and the exposed layer of silver react with air to change the color of a piece. Silver-plated items have a very thin layer of silver that covers a non-precious base metal. Because the coating is so thin on the base, cleaning needs to be careful but complete to keep up an item’s shine.
2. Store in a cool dry place
Humidity encourages tarnishing, so always store silver-plated items in a cool, dry place. While you can use polishing cloths or jewelry cleaners on silver-plated items it is not advised.
3. Light Cleaning:
- Mix 1 tsp. mild liquid dish soap with lukewarm water in a small bowl.
- Dip a soft cloth in the soapy water, then gently wipe your item while keeping it submerged in the bowl. Concentrate on any grooves or ridges the piece may have. Don’t scrub too hard, though, or you risk scratching the item. Clean the jewelry for no longer than 10 minutes, then rinse and dry it with a clean, lint-free cloth.
You can clean your silver-plated items frequently, at least once every two weeks to a month with this method to maintain its shine.
4. Deeper Cleaning:
What you will need:
- small bowl
- aluminum foil
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. baking soda
- mild liquid dish soap
- soft cloths
How to instructions:
- Line the bottom of a small bowl with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Add the salt and baking soda to the bowl, then add enough hot water so that your item will be covered. Mix the solution so the powders dissolve.
- Add the item to the bowl, and let it sit, ensuring that the item touches the aluminum foil. Black and yellow flakes will begin to break off or float up in the water as the sulfur (what darkens the jewelry) separates from the silver and is attracted to the aluminum in the bowl.
- Remove the piece after 10 minutes, or when you see that the tarnish or dirt seems gone.
- Rinse the item under lukewarm water, then dry with a soft, lint-free cloth