For many, an engagement ring is the first piece of fine jewelry a woman has owned. Care and cleaning of a fine piece is different from that for fashion or demi-fine pieces, so help fill her gap in knowledge.

Here are some top need-to-knows for brides-to-be.

1. Brides-to-be love to look down at that ring sparkling on their left hand. The best way to keep that sparkle going is routine, at-home cleaning with a professional jewelry cleaning formula and polishing cloth from your jewelry care line. Offer quality products and explain what formulation works best for the stones and metal in her ring.

2. Help your customer to understand that at-home, DIY jewelry cleaning tricks are old wives’ tales best left in the past. These hacks thrive on the internet but often omit the risks, particularly damage that can be caused by cleaning agents not formulated specifically for jewelry, like ammonia, toothpaste, vinegar and more. Remind them that they can always find high-quality, professional products at your store.

3. While your customer may wish to never take off that beautiful ring, the truth of the matter is that sometimes it’s best to do just that. Rings should be left in a safe place when one is cleaning, exercising, swimming, gardening, and sometimes even when cooking or baking. This protects it agains damage from chemicals or contact with strong forces. Recommend that your customer place the ring in the same place whenever it is taken it off; this helps guard against loss.

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1. Order inventory to ensure you have plenty of stock on hand. Be sure to plan ahead for lead times and account for potential shipping delays.
   Note: current private-label lead time is eight to 12 weeks.
   
2. Freshen up your display. Make sure it is fully stocked with product, and update your signage, if necessary.
   
3. The holidays are a great time to add to your jewelry care product line. Consider adding a new formula, travel items, or ultrasonic machines, all of which make for wonderful holiday gifts.
   
4. Do your associates know how to answer customer questions about jewelry care and jewelry care products? Offer training or refreshers to those that need it. Our blog, #cleanjewelry, features lots of helpful posts you can share with your team.
   
5. Make sure your website is updated with your jewelry care product line and helpful jewelry care information your customers can access. We offer Cleaning 101 tips on our website which you can repurpose for your own: https://www.thekingswoodcompany.com/tips-for-your-customers/

The post Your Holiday Checklist first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

A private-label jewelry care product line from The Kingswood Company was awarded a Gold 2023 Editors’ Pick Award in the Cleaning Category from Store Brands magazine. Store Brands announced winners of its Editors’ Picks in its August issue.

The winning product line was developed in 2021 and launched in 2022 in over 2000 stores throughout North America. It is a consumer-focused jewelry care line with an elevated, on-trend aesthetic. Each of the line’s products was meticulously designed and created to meet unique jewelry cleaning needs of an entire collection of jewelry both at home and on the go. The award-winning line’s fresh look was designed with inspiration from high-end luxury and cosmetic products, differentiating it from other jewelry care products in the market. Additionally, the packaging incorporates jewelry care and cleaning education, highlighting the products’ benefits and purpose. The company notes that it maintains customer confidentiality and therefore is not disclosing the winning brand’s name.

“We are proud to partner with our customers to design beautiful product lines that marry our outstanding jewelry cleaning formulas with packaging that highlights the customer’s brand and its luxury nature,” said Pam Waclawski, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are also unique in our attention to jewelry care education, which helped this brand become award winning.”

Store Brands notes that the last two years have seen a period of strong growth across the private-label industry. Retailers seek to offer their customers products that are differentiated from national brands, offering both higher value and higher quality.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since 1956, The Kingswood Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality jewelry care products, serving thousands of retailers, designers and manufacturers worldwide. Kingswood was recognized with inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing companies in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

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What is aqueous ammonia?
How does it differ from “regular” ammonia?
Is it safe for all kinds of jewelry?

Aqueous ammonia is a solution of ammonia in water, and is also known as ammonia water, ammonium hydroxide and ammonia liquor. Ammonia itself is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and is a colorless gas with a distinctive smell. So when you clean with “ammonia,” you are really using an ammonia solution.

Aqueous ammonia solutions are common in a number of household cleaning products because it is effective at breaking down grime and stains from animal fats and vegetable oils. Cleaning products that use aqueous ammonia include glass and window cleaners, oven cleaners, tile and wood floor cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, and all-purpose cleaners. It can also be used to clean stains from clothing, carpets and even white shoes. Ammonia is a particularly effective cleaner for glass and mirrors, because it evaporates quickly and therefore does not leave streaks.

Because the concentration of ammonia used for jewelry cleaning is vital, you should discourage your customers from using DIY, at-home ammonia cleaning methods that can cause damage to treasured jewelry. Too much ammonia can be caustic, and mixing your own ammonia solution poses its own risks. Exposure to concentrated ammonia irritates eyes, skin and the respiratory tract. While, mixing ammonia with bleach results in a chemical reaction that generates a toxic gas. Your best bet is using an ammoniated jewelry cleaner specially formulated for jewelry care.

PRIVATE-LABEL
FINE JEWELRY CLEANER

For a professional, high-quality jewelry cleaning formula that contains aqueous ammonia choose our Fine Jewelry Cleaner.

LEARN MORE

The post Ingredient to Know: Aqueous Ammonia first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

For the third year in a row, Inc. magazine placed The Kingswood Company on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Ranked at number 3066, a jump from number 3657 in 2021, Kingswood’s placement results from three-year revenue growth of 176 percent. The company is the 20th fastest growing company in Columbus and the 70th fastest growing company in Ohio.

“We are thrilled to be included on this list of the most successful independent businesses in the country,” said Kristie Nicolosi, president & CEO of The Kingswood Company. “Our ability to grow at such a pace demonstrates our resilience in the midst of supply chain difficulties, labor shortages and the ongoing impact of Covid-19.”

The company’s move to a larger manufacturing and office space in 2021 provided a foundation for its continued growth, by expanding production capacity and allowing Kingswood to hold more inventory. This move bolstered Kingswood’s ability to weather supply chain challenges and maintain inventory levels to meet customers’ needs.

The company has continued to expand product offerings, another factor of its continued growth trajectory. The Clean + Care^® line launched in 2020 is one of Kingswood’s fastest growing product lines, along with new products including custom-sized polishing cloths, co-branded and semi-customizable wipe sample cards, and additional packaging options.

“The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated,” said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today.”

The complete listing of Inc. 5000 honorees, including details about Kingswood’s ranking, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since 1956, The Kingswood Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality jewelry care products, serving thousands of retailers, designers and manufacturers worldwide.

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The post The Kingswood Company Ranks 3066th on the
Inc. 5000 Annual List of Fastest Growing Companies first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

Smart Shine Tips is a new monthly series from The Kingswood Company, the industry leader in jewelry cleaning and care. If you’ve ever wondered how you can sell more jewelry cleaner we’re here to help! Each month we’ll be bringing you pro tips that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll be able to download the tips to share with your team and store associates.

Smart Shine Tips: 3 Jewelry Cleaning FAQs for Your Store Associates

Your customers look to you as an expert on all things jewelry related. When your customers have jewelry cleaning questions, do your store associates know what to say?

Here are three top FAQs your team should be able to answer

1. Can I use dish soap or other DIY or household cleaners to clean my jewelry?

No, that’s not a great idea. DIY cleaning hacks percolate throughout social media and the internet, but they aren’t specially formulated to clean jewelry. Therefore, they run the gamut from not very helpful to downright dangerous.

Your associates can offer jewelry care products from your own line, along with tips on which products work best on which type of jewelry. They can also encourage your customers to both clean and polish their pieces, with a liquid jewelry cleaning product and a polishing cloth.

For more information on DIY jewelry cleaners and why they are best avoided, visit our blog: https://www.thekingswoodcompany.com/a-closer-look-at-diy-jewelry-cleaners/

2.    What is tarnish?

Though tarnish makes your jewelry look dirty, it’s not actually dirt. Tarnish is the result a chemical reaction of metal (your customer’s jewelry) with a non-metal compound (usually oxygen or sulfur dioxide gases). The reaction causes a thin layer of corrosion to form on the metal, taking away the jewelry’s shine.

So, cleaning the piece with a fine or gentle jewelry cleaning formula won’t remove that black or gray corrosion. Tarnish needs to be removed with a product specially formulated to removed tarnish. Your associates can offer a professional silver cleaning formula from your product line, or a chemically-treated polishing cloth.

For more information on tarnish, visit our blog: https://www.thekingswoodcompany.com/tarnish-removal-what-your-customers-want-to-know/

3. What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting?

What a crash course we all received in disinfecting thanks to Covid 19. Often people use the terms interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Cleaning refers to the process of removing dirt and germs from an item, rather than killing them. While disinfecting usually refers to killing germs on surfaces rather than humans. The EPA regulates disinfectants, and few cleaning products are registered as such.

If your customers are concerned about germs on their jewelry and they probably should be, you can reassure them that frequent cleaning of their pieces with a professional jewelry cleaning product, such as a Fine Jewelry Cleaner or Gentle Jewelry Cleaner, should do the trick. The surfactants used in these formulas attach to a germ’s membrane, breaking the outer coating and rendering it inactive. The remnants are rinsed away, along with dirt and oils. Additionally, most disinfecting products contain bleach or other harsh chemicals, which pose a threat to your customers’ jewelry.

The post Smart Shine Tips: 3 Jewelry Cleaning FAQs for Your Store Associates first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

It may seem like we’re a bit out to get the old wives, but they have a lot of tales about jewelry cleaning that don’t hold up to scrutiny. 

We’ve already covered some old favorites, but the old wives never give up. Here are some new DIY tips debunked, plus a few old not-favorites. The key takeaway? For best results, clean your jewelry with professional products designed specifically for the purpose.

What Not To Use?

Ketchup

It’s great for dipping your fries; less great for dipping your jewelry. Ketchup has entered the DIY cleaning repertoire due to the vinegar it contains. Vinegar is a popular acidic agent used to clean metals, including copper, stainless steel, cast iron and silver. Even the DIY-proponents acknowledge that using ketchup “for too long” can damage your jewelry. How long is too long? And do you really want to rub your jewelry with sugary ketchup?

Cleaning your silver jewelry with a silver jewelry cleaner formulated for the purpose is much safer. Our Silver Jewelry Cleaner is a mild formulation that will not cause pitting or silver loss. Your ketchup is formulated to taste great on a burger or hot dog.

Coca Cola

Coca Cola is sometimes recommended for jewelry cleaning for the same reason as ketchup: its acid content. And we don’t recommend it for the same reasons we don’t recommend ketchup. Enjoy a Coke on a hot summer’s day, but use professional jewelry cleaner for your jewelry cleaning needs.

Beer and Vodka

Maybe DIY cleaning has been overtaken by foodies? We love beer and vodka at happy hour, but not so much at cleaning hour. Beer has been suggested for cleaning gold, while vodka is suggested for gemstones. But caveats always emerge, like not using dark ales or beer on gemstones. Again, the best choice is something formulated specifically for cleaning jewelry. You know, something you would use to clean your jewelry if you accidentally dropped it into a mug of beer or a vodka martini. 

Windex or toothpaste with an old toothbrush

These are all big favorites for the DIY crowd, but please set them down now. Toothpaste is too gritty for jewelry and can cause scratches on the metal. Toothbrushes can do the same, plus their long handle places too much pressure on settings. But that little brush in a jar of jewelry cleaner is just right for brushing off dirt and oils after a soak in a professional jewelry cleaning formula. And while Windex leaves your glass sparkling, the chemicals can damage gemstones like emeralds, opals and more. 

Dish and body soap

DIYers recommend creating a solution with dish or body soap and soaking your piece in that. But not soap with a moisturizer, and no details are given on the quantities that go into the solution, and the time to soak is a frustratingly wide window. They add that you should use a brush to clean it better, but a soft brush. Do you know what brushes are soft? Do you know whether you soap has moisturizer? Do you know whether 20 or 40 or 60 minutes is safe? There are a lot of variables to be sure of. Again, the best bet is a cleaning formula designed specifically for jewelry, one you know is safe and one that comes with a brush that is the right size and softness. 

The post A Closer Look at DIY Jewelry Cleaners first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

Smart Shine Tips is a new monthly series from The Kingswood Company, the industry leader in jewelry cleaning and care. If you’ve ever wondered how you can sell more jewelry cleaner we’re here to help! Each month we’ll be bringing you pro tips that you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll be able to download the tips to share with your team and store associates.

3 Analogies to Help Educate Your Customers

Analogies are a great way to help people understand new concepts.
Here are our top three analogies to help you educate your customers about jewelry care and cleaning. 

The post Smart Shine Tips: 3 Analogies to Help Educate Your Customers first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

The Kingswood Company, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality jewelry cleaner and polishing cloths announced on their inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list and their move to a new manufacturing and office space in Columbus, Ohio.

This is The Kingswood Company’s second year on Inc. magazine’s prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The company ranked 3657, with three-year revenue growth of 92 percent. This growth comes as the result of the company’s focus on new product development, expanded design capabilities, the expansion of distribution channels, and the launch of two new brands: Gem Glow®, sold exclusively at Walmart, and Clean + Care®, sold through independent jewelry retailers.

“Another significant factor in our growth has been our focus on elevating our product category in the industry,” explained Kristie Nicolosi, president & CEO of The Kingswood Company. “We helped retailers recognize the sales power the jewelry cleaning category could have for them, by designing and manufacturing products that matched the luxury and sophistication of the jewelry industry. What was once viewed as a cheap giveaway is now a category for retailers that bolsters their core offerings.”

Inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list is even more striking considering the company’s loss of nearly an entire quarter of revenue in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic on retailers. Kingswood maintained stability during the Covid shutdown and returned to growth by the end of 2020. The company remains on a continued growth trajectory in 2021.

“To manage the fallout from Covid, we focused on education related to care and cleaning of jewelry,” added Nicolosi. “We were able to share vital information on jewelry care and cleaning to a world intently focused on topics of cleaning and sanitizing.”

While the company was down 22 percent in 2020 over 2019, it is projected to be up 50 percent over 2020 and close to 20 percent over 2019 in 2021. Over the last five years, the company will have seen an approximately 15 percent compound annual growth rate.

To accommodate this significant growth trajectory, the company relocated to a new building for manufacturing and office space in October 2021, expanding its square footage from 18,000 to 44,000 square feet. The move supports the company’s growth projections, expands production capacity, and allows Kingswood to hold more inventory, which is vital to both the company’s and its customers’ needs in this era of supply chain challenges.

The additional space supports Kingswood’s growth plans by allowing for space to warehouse product for large customers and to expand offerings by providing drop ship service for customers. Additionally, the ability to carry more inventory and space for more machinery lays the groundwork for lower lead times in the future. The new space also doubles the square footage allocated for product development, photography and marketing, all of which is done in-house.

“As a company, we pride ourselves on planning and preparation,” explained Nicolosi. “While no one could have foreseen the supply chain issues we are experiencing, our plan to increase capacity and warehousing with the purchase of a new space has allowed us to react to and rethink inventory and planning needed to weather supply chain challenges.”

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since 1956, The Kingswood Company is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality jewelry care products, serving thousands of retailers, designers and manufacturers worldwide.

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The post The Kingswood Company Announces Placement on Inc. 5000 List of the Nation’s Fastest Growing Businesses and Move to New Building first appeared on The Kingswood Company.

Unfortunately, many people see the discoloration and immediately think they need to clean it. When this doesn’t work, they may become frustrated as to why cleaning hasn’t worked and what they can do to get the metal shining again.

Here are some quick Q&A’s you can share with your customers to help them understand all things tarnish.

Customer Question: What is tarnish?

Your Answer: Tarnish is not dirt. It is a thin layer of corrosion that forms on a metal when it undergoes a chemical reaction with a non-metal compound, usually oxygen or sulfur dioxide gases. The surface of the metal undergoes a chemical change, the result of which discolors the metal.

The treated inner cloth of the Private-Label Polishing Cloth removes tarnish

Customer Question: Does cleaning remove tarnish?

Your Answer: No, it does not. Because the discoloration is not the result of dirt or something that can be washed off the surface using a cleanser, cleaning will not remove tarnish.

Customer Question: Then, how can I remove tarnish?

Your Answer: To remove tarnish, you need to use a product designed for the purpose. In this case, a professional silver cleaning formula that is designed to remove tarnish from jewelry. Suggest a mild formulation that does not risk pitting the piece, which can happen with harsher products. A good expert tip, tell them, is to use this product somewhat frequently. This will help prevent a build-up of tarnish, which becomes harder to remove over time.

Do note: Silver cleaning formulas that remove tarnish are not safe for gemstones, so do not use them on silver jewelry set with stones.

For pieces with a light amount of tarnish, the customer could also choose a Professional Polishing Cloth with a chemically treated inner cloth. These can be used to rub away tarnish as well as polish to a shine (using the outer cloth).

Customer Question: Can I use DIY tarnish removal methods?

Your Answer: Google is full of DIY ideas for tarnish removal. Some are straight out of your high school chemistry days, and might sound pretty cool. But while the chemical reaction may indeed work, using boiling water on our beloved jewelry can definitely cause damage. In this case, suggest the use of a professional silver cleaning formula for a much safer and easier (and probably a more affordable) bet.

Customer Question: How can I prevent tarnish?

Your Answer: For jewelry, the very best way to prevent tarnish is to wear the piece frequently. The natural oils on your skin help prevent the chemical reaction that causes tarnish. A win-win!

For jewelry they do not wear often, the key to tarnish prevention is proper storage. If the piece sits out in a dish, it will be exposed to the air and will tarnish. So, they need to store it in an air-tight container, such as a jewelry pouch or jewelry box (even a Ziplock bag will work). Suggest they consider adding an anti-tarnish strip treated with a tarnish preventing chemical, usually copper-based polymers that neutralize the tarnish-causing gases, to their jewelry storage box. Finally, remind them to not store their jewelry in paper, cardboard or cotton-filled boxes, as they can contain sulfur which contributes to the chemical reaction that causes tarnish.

And always remind customers, when you properly care for your silver jewelry, you minimize tarnish and maximize its beauty.

The post Tarnish Removal: What Your Customers Want to Know first appeared on The Kingswood Company.