Keeping your jewelry in an airtight (or at least sealed) zip lock bag will keep the air away from the piece effectively reducing oxidation of the silver and other metals such as copper & brass.

When metal cleaning is required, I recommend using a specially treated cloth called a Sunshine cloth or the Connoisseurs brand polishing cloth.

The sunshine cloth is best used when you have heavily tarnished areas and should be followed with a polishing cloth to remove any cleaning residue. The Connoisseurs Polishing cloth has both cleaning side and polishing side which I like. Both of these products can be purchased on Amazon.

To clean brass & copper there are several methods but the one I use and works well, is to dissolve a teaspoon of salt with a 1/4 cup of white vinegar in a dish, add your mixed metal jewelry and let it sit for a few minutes. remove from the solution and rinse thoroughly. Dry well with a soft cloth.

Cleaning your beads with a mild detergent and warm (or cold) water is effective for removing finger prints and any residue from creams and cosmetics you have on your skin.

Glass beads are generally very strong and can withstand bumping into other glass beads to a point. I generally include spacers between glass beads on a chain but if you are buying loose beads to wear, consider adding a few small spacers
between your beads. Spacers can be any shape, size, or material. I like to use small jump rings or silver spacer beads.

Avoid contact with hard surfaces. These beads are strong but are glass and can't compete with cement, tile, or marble surfaces.

First of all, I hope you love your new beaded servingware. The hardware I use is a high quality stainless steel and the glass bead or beads used for the handle were made specifically for the piece of servingware.

While this item isn’t delicate and is intended to be used for dishing up various dishes, it does require a little special handling.

I’ve listed a few things to keep in mind when caring for these items.

• The handle is glass and can be broken if dropped on hard surfaces or exposed to direct heat.
• Hand washing is recommended when cleaning the ladle.

Disassembly of the handle.

The bead assembly aka: the handle, comes apart in 2 ways.

The first removes the entire assembly from the spoon and is the recommended way to take the unit apart.

• To remove the entire assembly, simply and gently turn the decorative nut at the base
  of the bead assembly and turn toward yourself. After a few turns, you will have the handle in your hand in one piece.
• The other way is to unscrew the ball on top of the bead assembly (turning toward yourself) and remove the bead and o-rings.

Care should be taken when reassembling the handle.

• Use the o-rings first to cushion the bead rather than installing the bead against the hard metal. If you happen to lose an o-ring, they can be purchased at the hardware store, or you can use a small piece of foam or a portion of elastic. Basically you just need a cushion.
• Do not over tighten the ball as this may result in cracking the bead. It only needs to be snug so it doesn’t spin.

Some handles are comprised of multiple smaller beads. These are also considered "the handle" of the hardware and will usually come apart the in either of the same ways as the one piece handles.

Care should be taken to remember the washers or spacers between the beads when reassembling.

Making handles for servingware, barware, and condiment sets is my way of keeping in mind those of you who don't wear jewelry or care to buy it. Glass bead handles are an excellent and decorative asset to any home and also make great hostess gifts.

I had the pleasure of creating the cake serving set for my niece's wedding. It was a unique gift and the beads were created in her wedding colours. Read more here