AyloJewelry – Ayleen López Jewelry

May 16, 2023May 16, 2023

The Origin of Metals

The origin of metals can be traced back to various processes that occur in the universe.

A metal (from Ancient Greek μέταλλον métallon ‘mine, quarry, metal’) is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typically ductile (can be drawn into wires) and malleable (they can be hammered into thin sheets). These properties are the result of the metallic bond between the atoms or molecules of the metal.

These processes collectively contribute to the formation and distribution of metals throughout the universe, including our own planet Earth. Over billions of years, Earth’s metal content has been shaped by the accumulation of materials from various sources, such as meteorite impacts, volcanic activity, and geological processes.

Metals are a category of chemical elements characterized by their luster, conductivity, malleability, and ductility. They are typically solid at room temperature (except for mercury, which is a liquid) and have high melting and boiling points. Here are some common types of metals:

Aluminum (Al): Lightweight and highly abundant metal used in various applications, including construction, transportation, and packaging.
Iron (Fe): Widely used metal known for its strength and durability. It is a key component in the production of steel and is used in construction, manufacturing, and transportation industries.
Copper (Cu): Excellent conductor of electricity and heat. Copper is used in electrical wiring, plumbing, and various electronic devices.
Silver (Ag): Valuable and highly conductive metal used in jewelry, currency, and electronic components. It is also known for its antimicrobial properties.
Gold (Au): Highly valued metal prized for its rarity, beauty, and corrosion resistance. Gold is commonly used in jewelry, investment, and electronics.
Titanium (Ti): Lightweight and strong metal with excellent corrosion resistance. It is used in aerospace applications, medical implants, and sporting goods.
Zinc (Zn): Essential element used primarily as a protective coating for steel (galvanization). It is also present in batteries, alloys, and various industrial applications.
Nickel (Ni): Versatile metal used in the production of stainless steel, batteries, magnets, and various alloys. It is also used in the plating of other metals.
Lead (Pb): Dense and malleable metal used in construction, batteries, and radiation shielding. However, due to its toxicity, its use has been significantly reduced in many applications.
Tin (Sn): Malleable metal often used as a protective coating for other metals (tin-plating). It is also used in soldering, packaging, and the production of alloys.

Hammered Cuff made of Brass by Ayleen López.

January 25, 2021January 26, 2023

How To Clean Your Jewelry?

April 30, 2018

Here find some basic tips to clean your metal jewelry.

First try using hand soap and warm water. Use a washcloth to gently clean the jewelry. It’s usually not a good idea to let fake jewelry soak in water for a long time as it can ruin the look or finish of the jewelry. Or, pour hot water into a bowl. Place salt, soda, and dish-washing liquid into a bowl.

Below find more tips for the specific metals we offer in our shop.

Brass

There are a couple of ways to clean your brass naturally and more gently, and the ingredients are in your kitchen. The first natural cleaner for brass is ketchup. Yes, ketchup. The mild acid in tomatoes removes tarnish and dirt from brass. Rub ketchup onto item with a soft cloth, rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly. You can also soak small brass items in a bowl of tomato juice to clean them. Put them in the juice and let them sit for five minutes (longer, if they’re really dirty.) Pull them out, rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly.

Lemon juice also contains a mild acid that will clean brass. There are two lemon-based cleaners you can make that will leave your brass shiny and bright. For light tarnish, cut a lemon in half and sprinkle it with table salt. Rub the salted lemon over the surface of the brass. Once you’ve covered the surface with the lemon juice and salt mixture, wipe with a soft cloth and buff till the piece shines. For heavy tarnish, make a paste using two parts cream of tartar to one part lemon juice. Apply the paste to the item and let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. Rinse the item thoroughly with warm water, then buff with a dry cloth.

To prevent your newly clean brass from tarnishing, rub it with a thin coat of mineral or linseed oil. Also, avoid touching brass items as much as possible because the oil on your hands will hasten tarnishing.

Knowing how to clean brass will keep it shiny and beautiful, with a minimum of work.

Copper

Here some tips to clean your copper pieces:

Vinegar, Flour and Salt -The first natural cleaner to answer the question of how do you clean copper uses that standby, vinegar. Mix 1/4 salt, 1/4 cup flour and enough vinegar to make a thick paste. Use a soft cloth to rub the paste on the surface of the copper. Buff till it shines. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly.

Lemon Juice and Baking Soda Mix – You can make another natural cleaner by mixing lemon juice (or vinegar) and baking soda into a sudsy mixture. Apply to the copper and buff with a soft cloth. Rinse with water and dry.These mixtures work because the acid in the vinegar or lemon juice strips the oxidized patina from the copper and the salt acts as a mild abrasive to remove the grime. You can also use lime juice instead of lemon.

Ketchup – Grab a bottle of ketchup for the third natural cleaning idea. Yes, ketchup. This is how to clean copper with a condiment. The acid in the tomatoes cleans grime off copper. Rub a thin layer of ketchup on your copper item and buff till it shines. Rinse and dry.

Vinegar and Salt – Dissolve salt in vinegar. Use a soft cloth to apply the liquid solution to the item, then buff till the copper gleams. Rinse and dry. If dents in the copper are holding any grime, use a soft toothbrush to scrub the copper.

Boil It – If none of the cleaners we’ve suggested work, put one cup of vinegar, one tablespoon of salt and three or four cups into a large pot and bring to a boil. Put your item in the pot and boil it till the tarnish falls off the item. It may need more scrubbing when you pull it out of the pot, but you’ll need less elbow grease to get the shine back.

Once your copper is shiny again, keep it cleaner, longer, by wiping a thin layer of mineral or linseed oil on it. Knowing how to clean copper, how to clean a copper sink and how to clean copper bottom pans will make these items beautiful.

Nickel Silver

Create a cleaner consisting of one-part vinegar and one-part water. Dip a soft cloth into the mixture and clean the metal with the mixture to remove any existing contaminants. Make a paste from baking soda and water and rub it onto the jewelry with a soft cloth to remove any existing tarnish spots. You can also use silver polish to remove tarnish, but this may aggravate allergies for some people.

Rinse the nickel with a damp cloth and allow the jewelry to dry completely. Place a small amount of a polymer car polish onto a soft cloth. Rub the polish over the jewelry. Allow the polish to sit on the jewelry for about five minutes, then buff off any excess polish. This will coat the metal in a polymer finish that will harden and protect the metal from exposure to moisture and air, which can cause tarnishing. The polymer coating will also protect the nickel from coming in direct contact with the skin.

With a few easy steps, your gorgeous jewelry can look like new again!

January 25, 2021March 31, 2023

Difference Between Bronze and Copper

March 1, 2019

The critical difference between copper and bronze is, Copper is a pure chemical element as well as a natural mineral whereas bronze is a metal alloy. Bronze and copper colors have definite yellow, orange, and red tones; this can make them hard to distinguish. I love both colors, and the mix with silver or yellow make an extraordinary combination.

Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (such as aluminum, manganese, nickel or zinc) and sometimes non-metals or metalloids such as arsenic, phosphorus or silicon. These additions produce a range of alloys that may be harder than copper alone or have other useful properties, such as stiffness, ductility, or machinability.

According to Wikipedia Copper is a chemical element. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orange color. Copper use as a conductor of heat and electricity, as a building material, and as a constituent of various metal alloys, such as sterling silver used in jewelry, cupronickel used to make marine hardware and coins, and constantan used in strain gauges and thermocouples for temperature measurement.

Copper is its element, while bronze is composed of copper alloyed with tin. Because of this, the colors of the two metals differ slightly when “raw.” Bronze may have a deeper, yellow-brown tone than copper, which may appear more red-pink overall. The difference in their chemical composition directly affects the difference in their visual appearance. I hope you enjoy both colors in Ayleen López Jewelry collection!