Care, Cleaning & Cleansing
Silvermoon StoneWear, while offered at a reasonable price, is made to the highest of craftsmen standards. As with any fine item, a certain amount of care and caution will prolong the life. Care Cautions
- Exposure to harsh chemicals is not recommended. Repeated exposure to harsh chemicals such as household cleaning products may damage or dull your jewelry.
- Putting on bracelets, anklets, or other beaded jewelry by slipping it on over the hand, foot, etc. is not recommended. This can cause stretching of the stringing material which may eventually lead to a break.
- Extended exposure to sunlight is not recommended as some gemstones are prone to fading.
- Commercial tarnish removers are not recommended as they may cause damage to the stones.
- Some minerals will dissolve or crumble when exposed to water. Before exposing your stones to water, insure the stone is not water soluble. If your piece contains water soluble stones, your properties card will contain a warning.

Cleaning Tarnished Silver
Storing your silver in a airtight container or ziploc bag can help prevent tarnishing. For tarnished silver, the safest cleaner is a dry rub of baking soda, or a paste of baking soda and water. Use the dry baking soda or baking soda paste with a soft old toothbrush to scrub the piece. Another method is to soak the piece in a baking soda and water mixture. Once scrubbed or soaked, rinse and polish with a clean, soft cloth.

Customers also report success in cleaning their wire wrapped pieces with white baking soda toothpaste. Use a soft old toothbrush and gently scrub.

Liquid commercial silver cleaners are not recommended as they may damage your stones. I caution you to use these at your own risk and only after carefully reading any cautions included on the product packaging.

PLEASE NOTE: Pieces made with leather, suede, and/or water soluable stones should not be cleaned with any liquid cleaners. For these pieces we recommend the use of a polishing cloth only.

Cleansing Your Stones and Accessing Their Energies
Stones channel and store energies. The natural energy of the stone is a positive earth energy, however, the stone may absorb the energies of anyone who touches it. Consider then, that the stone you choose, may be carrying the energies of anyone and everyone who ever touched it. For this reason, stones that are new to you should be cleansed to remove any negative energies they may have absorbed. There are several methods of cleansing stones and you will want to consider the type of stone you have when choosing a cleansing method. Some stones/minerals are actually water soluble and my dissolve if exposed to water. If your piece contains water soluble stones, your properties card will contain a warning.

SMUDGING: As mentioned above, some stones/minerals will actually crumble or dissolve when exposed to water. The safest method for cleansing these stones is smudging. This tribal ritual involves exposing the stones to the smoke of burning incense or herbs to clear the negative energies. Choose a natural scent. Quite commonly Sage and/or Sweetgrass are preferred. Hold your stone in the smoke while concentrating and voicing your intent (quietly or aloud) to clear the negative energies. A few minutes of this should suffice. This method can also be used to clear negative energies from other objects as well as people and places. Please exercise the utmost caution when working with burning incense or herbs.

MOONLIGHT & SUNLIGHT: Moonlight and sunlight are natural energizers. Placing your stones outside in the natural light is a very effective method of cleansing. Be cautioned, however, that some stones will fade in the sunlight and stone colors may also change if exposed to extreme temperatures. Amethyst is an example of such a stone. When cleansing water soluble stones by this method, remember to check the weather forecast for precipitation. Moonlight cleansing on the night of a full moon is highly recommended. Leave your stones in the light for a least an hour. The first stone I cleansed via this method was a cloudy rutilated quartz point. When I put the stone outside it was opaque. When I brought the stone in the next morning it was crystal clear and I could see all of the fine golden lines of rutilation. Of course, this made me a believer in this cleansing method.

WATER: Before using this method insure your stone/mineral is not water soluble. Using lukewarm tap water, hold your stone under the water for a few minutes. While doing this you should concentrate on the stones energy and ask that all negative vibrations be dispersed. Allow the stone to dry on a soft cloth. Outdoor cleansing in the rain is also highly recommended and is my preferred method for my personal pieces. If you're lucky you catch the light of a full moon and a light rain shower on the same night. Those living near a river or stream may find it a very convenient and beneficial place to cleanse stones. Consider placing them in a pouch before you submerge them, so as not to lose them in the current.

CLUSTER CLEANSING: Another method of cleansing smaller stones is to place them in a clear Quartz or Amethyst cluster. Of course you will want to cleanse your clusters, occasionally, via another method. This method is probably a preferable method for cleansing stones in finished jewelry.

BURYING: Burying stones in the earth is another method of cleansing. If you do this outdoors, be sure to mark the spot. If you choose this method, I would recommend burying the stone in a potted houseplant so that it may be more easily recovered. The stone should remain buried for a full day (24 hrs) at least. Again, this method is not recommended for water soluble stones.

After cleansing your stone, you can charge or progam it. This is how you give it a purpose. For instance, if you purchased or were given a stone to help you release negative energy, you may want to program it to do this. Programming the stone for a purpose will make it more effective. The programming itself is very easy. Simply hold the stone and concentrate on the specific intent you have for it. Some people even like to visualize the end result they wish to accomplish. Programming is not necessary but will focus the energy of the stone. Once a stone has been cleansed and programmed, some people prefer not to let other people handle it. This is personal preference. If you are comfortable with other people handling your stone, then you should let them. Just remember to cleanse it once in awhile. If you are tuned into the energies of the stone, as some people are, you will know when it's time to cleanse again. Otherwise, you can use the full moon as your reminder.