Turquoise will last with care

Dear Heloise: I have a few pieces of turquoise jewelry. Is there an easy way to clean it so that the silver gets clean and no damage is done to the turquoise? —Roberta L. Haeckel, Houston

Turquoise jewelry is beautiful and can truly last a lifetime with the correct care.

A silver cloth is usually the best way to clean this jewelry — it removes tarnish from silver without damaging the turquoise, and it will also shine the stone.

You can also wipe the piece with a soft, damp cloth, dry well with another soft, absorbent cloth and let it air-dry.

Clean turquoise jewelry often, and when you're not wearing it, wrap it in tissue paper and seal in an airtight plastic bag. This might help keep some of that tarnish at bay.

Here are some other important hints to keep your turquoise jewelry in tiptop shape and out of harm's way:

• Don't wear turquoise jewelry when doing housework, yardwork or when cleaning agents or other chemicals are being used.

• Don't wear it when using soap or grease.

• Don't use a steam or ultrasonic cleaner to clean turquoise.

• Don't wear it when using hot water.

• Don't soak turquoise jewelry in water. —Heloise

Dear Heloise: Just wanted to pass on this tip for a new use for an old calendar book.

While cleaning out some desk drawers, I found a stack of clippings that I had saved — recipes, "Hints From Heloise," stickers, cards, articles, etc. — and had been meaning to get a scrapbook for. It suddenly dawned on me to take a glue stick and add these little tidbits to the pages of the calendar book. There are some notes on weather and things I'd like to remember, but there are also many blank pages or short notes that can easily be covered. Now I have all the tidbits in one handy book. — Rose-Marie Burke, Glenburnie, Ontario

Dear Heloise: Most of the time when you burn a scented candle, there is leftover wax at the bottom because the wick no longer burns. I found that if you take out the hard wax and break it up into small pieces, you can still have the scent in your room. Just put the small pieces in a container and put it in a place that you don't see. —A Reader, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: A lot of room is required to take my makeup bottle with me when I go out, and oftentimes, dress-up purses are too small. To take a small amount of makeup in my purse, I simply pour the foundation into an old contact-lens case with screw-on caps. Even if I use more than one color, there are two compartments to use. —Madelyn Kamen, via e-mail

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