Care of Art

All the wearable and decorative art pieces available from Journey Road Arts are made by hand, by me,

Batya Deene. I put lots of love, care, gentleness, attention, and positive intention into each piece.

Most are one-of-a-kind; all are meant for your pleasure.

To help them last, here are some suggestions for their care. This is in no way a complete list of jewelry/pottery care.

That would require a book.

Jewelry

The jewelry available on JourneyRoadArts.com is made of any combination of:

• Swarovski crystals

• glass crystals

• glass beads

• Sterling Silver

• Gold Filled or Gold Vermeil

• copper

• base metal (possibly silver, gold, or copper plated) or brass

• thread

• acrylic or plastic (very rarely, possibly in vintage pieces)

• clay or porcelain beads or focals

• semi-precious gemstones

• pearls or fresh-water pearls

• found objects

• feathers

Please see individual product pages or your packing slip on purchased pieces for a list of what any particular piece contains.

Because both crystals and most beads are glass, please treat them accordingly. It's rare for a piece to

shatter if dropped, but if it falls onto a tile or stone floor, there's no guarantee the beads won't crack or shatter.

Treat your hand-made pieces with care.

You may want to polish your piece if there's Sterling Silver beads or findings on it. Some folks (me included)

like the look of a little tarnish; others like a high shine. Polishing and jeweler's cloths are better than liquid

silver cleaners because the liquid tends to remove more of the silver and will wear out the piece through time.

I've pre-treated most of the base metal findings (clasps, connectors, etc.) and large beads for you. If

handled carefully they should not chip. If the plating does begin to chip off over time, I recommend that you apply

a thin coat of clear nail polish.

I don't use many clay beads on jewelry. It's rare that they'll crack if they fall, but there's no guarantee.

Porcelain (or porcelain-like clay) is stronger than other clays and it's what I use when I do create

focals or beads for necklaces or earrings. 

Suggestions for Jewelry Care and Cleaning (not all-inclusive):

• Use only 100% cotton polishing cloths or jeweler's cloths on precious metals and gemstones

• Be sure to use clean polishing cloths so prior tarnish or dirt doesn't scratch the next piece you clean

• Never wear your pieces into a pool or hot tub; never wear them when using bleach of any kind

• Never use toothpaste to clean precious metals or gemstones

• Best storage prep for good jewelry: after each wearing, use a jeweler's cloth to wipe makeup and oil from your skin off the piece
  

• Best storage for good jewelry: store in jeweler's tissue or a soft bag.

Pottery/Sculptures

All functional and decorative clay art sold on JourneyRoadArts.com has been fired in a kiln at high

temperatures. Items for food use (bowls, plates, mugs) have been glazed with non-toxic materials.

Liquid-holding pieces (ie: vases, bowls, mugs) have been tested for water retention.

However, it is possible that small amounts of liquid may seep through tiny holes in the glaze. For this

reason, if you're going to use a vase on a wood table, for instance, place a plate or other protection

under it. Journey Road Arts does not guarantee that pottery will never leak (we do our best to prevent it,

but these are handmade pieces and things happen).

Also, if you're placing pottery on a wood or otherwise scratchable surface, I recommend using felt or other

padding under it. Again, I do my best to smooth the bottom of each piece, but fired clay or glaze can

scratch.

Please do your best to keep pottery and sculptures out of reach of children and pets. If it falls, the

broken edges can be as sharp as glass (glaze contains a high level of silica, which is glass).

If you have further questions about caring for a particular piece of Journey Road Art, feel free to contact me.

I hope that you enjoy your Journey Road Art purchases for a long time to come.