How to repair chips and cracks in organic ear plugs

Occasionally we get questions on how to care for or repair jewelry that has been damaged. Over the years, we have learned a few tricks. It isn't uncommon for stone and glass ear plugs to chip. Sometimes there are natural stone inclusions that are rougher than the polished stone. And we've heard it mentioned that some bone and horn spiral ear gauges have sharp points from the carving.

There is a simple fix that will take care of most of these problems - basic candle or paraffin wax. Just melt a drop of wax on a rough point and smooth it in. You will be happy again! If the wax is planned to be a long term fix, it should be scraped off and replaced periodically if it is on a wearable area.

Buy Labradorite Plugs at Avaia Artistic Jewelry

Each variety of natural stone has associated properties that follow it. Labradorite is our most popular stone for ear gauges. It is a power stone that can allow your dreams and goals to come into focus and turn to reality. If you are intuitive, labradorite can strengthen your natural predictive talents. Labradorite's uses include helping to develop ideas and develop enthusiasm for projects. If your are artistic, a dreamer, or have plans for a project, it will help your creative side.

Labradorite is native to Canada. First found in 1770 on the Labrador penninsula, other sources have since been found in the former USSR and Norway.

Labradorite is famous for its "flash" of colour when viewed at specific angles. The colour of the flash can vary from intense blues, purples and oranges, to flashes of white, green and every colour of the rainbow in between. High polish rounded plugs will display a cat eye effect. There are various grades of labradorite. Economy grade plugs, which are common in many jewelry stores, may contain little or no flash. We offer A grade plugs, which will have some flash, andSelect AA grade labradorite plugs guaranteed to have excellent flash. Our sizes range from 6g to 1" with prices that cannot be beat!

How to care for organic bone jewelry

Bone is one of the most popular materials in organic jewelry. Most people when they first purchase bone do not realize it is VERY fragile. Even thicker bone needs to be handled with special care. Bone also does not handle humidity well and may warp under these conditions. Keep your bone jewelry out of the bathroom and preferably somewhere with dryer air. Bone that gets wet or is in constant contact with skin, will change colour and develop a translucent appearance from water or body oils. Bone should not be oiled as this will change the colour. The best way to clean bone items is with a dry jewelry polishing cloth. This will remove any grit and bring out the shine. We recommend removing bone ear gauges before showering, bathing or swimming to keep them looking their best the longest. Bone also has a limited thickness. We at Avaia Artistic Jewelry often have requests for bone hanging gauges in sizes bigger than 0g. Because bone is limited to the thickness of the animal from which it comes, most hanging or spiral gauges can only be in sizes up to 2g or 0g.

How to care for organic wood jewelry

This is part of a series of blogs on how to best care for organic jewelry. Wood is a popular material, especially for ear gauges. It can be carved into tunnels, plugs, tapers, and hanging styles.

The best thing to do when you first receive wood gauges is to oil them with jojoba oil. Jojoba is a natural oil that will help to preserve and maintain the rich color of the wood. Oiling prevents cracking and can be frequently applied. If there is any detail carving, oil will enhance the image.

Wood is a fragile material, and even the larger sizes may break or crack if dropped. In addition, wood should not be exposed to water, at least for extensive periods of time. We don't recommend showering or swimming with your wood jewelry.

Our experience has been that wood is not as prone to warping as horn. It is lighter weight than both horn and bone and is comfortable to wear.

Check out wood ear gauges at Avaia Artistic Jewelry by clicking here!

The holiday season will soon be upon us. Avaia Artistic Jewelry has 3 orders on the go in Indonesia. We have some never seen before carved plugs and some silver inlay hanging designs that you will find no where else. In addition, we have a stone order on the way that includes some more of the high demand single flare faceted plugs and labradorite in larger sizes. Watch for updates on these orders in the upcoming months. In the meantime, join our Facebook page and tell us what you are looking for. Our customers are number one to us so we will try our best to find the items that you desire!

How to care for organic horn jewelry

Water Buffalo horn is a popular item in ear gauges and other body jewelry. Proper care of organics is essential. We are going to tell you a few tricks to help keep your horn jewelry looking new.

First, horn should be oiled with pure jojoba oil. This will enhance the colour and any depth to carving. It will make the jewelry shine and hide imperfections. Rub a small amount of oil into the jewelry, then wipe clean in a polishing fashion. Horn can also be buffed with a jewelry cloth. If there is silver inlay, this is an excellent means of shining up the silver without damaging the horn.

Second, over time the horn, being an organic, may absorb water vapor from the air and in the process warp. We have developed a method to restore your jewelry. What you need to do is wrap the item in a moist small towel or washcloth. Make sure the item will lay flat, so the towel should be square folded. Place the item in the towel on a flat, solid surface and set a relatively heavy item on top of it. A gallon jug of a liquid, such a bleach on top of the towel and leave it for 24 hours. After this time, check that the item has straightened. You aren't done yet. Now you need to place the jewelry in a heavy book, shut the book and pile more on top. Basically you are using a make shift press, much like flowers are pressed. Leave the item for a week or so. The shape should be restored!