Q: Do you have any ideas for ways to display magazines?
A: The most important consideration when displaying or storing magazines is that they be neat and accessible. Stacked neatly or fanned, current issues of a few favorite magazines look inviting and stylish on that traditional spot – the coffee table. I also like to tuck several issues into a pretty basket next to a comfortable reading chair or place some on my bedside table. But the next issues always seem to arrive before you know it, and you’ll need a system to stay organized.
If you keep back issues of a magazine for reference, buy magazine holders for them. You’ll find plain plastic or cardboard versions at office-supply stores, and more decorative ones at specialty shops. This may sound like an obvious idea, but too many people put up with unwieldy piles of magazines. Make room for the holders on a bookshelf, and all the issues will always be neat, attractive and accessible. Or, for a more chic, contemporary look, purchase some hanging boxes for the wall.
When you come across articles or photos that you want to hold onto, in a magazine that you don’t plan to keep, cut them out right away. Don’t assume you’ll remember to go back and do it later. Then make sure you have a good place for these clippings. A bulletin board is fine for a few things, such as reviews of restaurants that you want to try soon, but you don’t want your board to become cluttered and unmanageable.
The solution: File clippings in accordion folders or loose-leaf binders with folders inside, customized to your interests. For example, make a travel file, and when a piece about a charming town or a bed-and-breakfast catches your eye, tuck it into a pocket labeled “weekend trips.” When you are swept away by photos of a Caribbean resort, file it away under “dream vacations.”
Create other clipping files according to your interests. You might have a decorating file, a wedding file, a health and beauty file, even a fashion file.
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Q: Can you tell me the best way to clean jewelry at home?
A: We encounter many things in daily life that can cause jewelry to lose its luster, including lotions, polluted air, perfumes and cosmetics. While you can buy special cleansers and equipment to keep stones and precious metals sparkly, you can usually get the same results with mild products you may already have around the house. Exactly what you use will depend on the type of jewelry you want to clean.
Many gems can be safely cleaned with soapy water and a soft, old toothbrush. Swish a bar of mild soap around in several cups of warm water until it becomes sudsy, submerge the stone for a few seconds, rub gently with the toothbrush, rinse, and lay on a clean towel to dry. This method works well for most jewels, but there are a few exceptions.
Softness and porosity vary greatly among stones and affect how they should be cleaned. To determine hardness, find where your stone ranks on the Mohs scale, a standard ranking developed in the 19th century. Diamonds are the hardest, with a rank of 10, and talc the softest, with a rank of 1. (The book “Gem Care,” by Fred Ward, is one good reference for this information; your jeweler should also be able to advise you.)
The harder your stone, the more cleaning and chemicals it can withstand. Hard, nonporous, crystalline gems can be cleaned with ammonia for extra brilliance – just add a tablespoon to the soap-and-water solution – but softer jewels, such as opal and amber, would be injured by the chemical. Gems that fall on the lower end of the Mohs scale will scratch easily and should be cleaned with a chamois cloth rather than a toothbrush.
There are a couple of other caveats. Diamonds attract grease and are dulled by soap residue. They should be soaked in a solution of one part warm water to one part ammonia-based cleaner. Soaking for a few minutes in a shot glass of vodka, rubbing with a brush, and rinsing is another way to get a particularly luminous diamond.
Pearls, which are soft and porous, should never be placed in water. Wipe them with a soft, damp cloth.
Keep in mind that many jewels are tougher than the metals in which they are set – often gold, silver or platinum – so the metals should be handled with special care.
Certain pieces should always be taken to a jeweler for cleaning: A very soft stone such as tanzanite (a deep, purple-blue gem) could be damaged by any kind of home treatment. Take vintage jewelry to a professional too; even if the gems are hard, the settings may be weak and a buildup of stains and dirt will be difficult to remove safely at home.
