DAILY CARE

To keep your handcrafted jewellery clean and in good condition, gently wipe off residues and oils with a soft, 100% cotton lint-free cloth after each wearing. Apply perfumes, make-up, hairspray, lotions etc prior to putting on jewellery to prevent damage to softer stones and build-up on your jewellery. The safest method to clean your jewellery is to use a soft bristled brush like a child’s toothbrush and a drop of liquid dish soap or hand soap (never use toothpaste or other abrasive cleaner as they may scratch metals). Rinse and dry thoroughly prior to re-storing.

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CLEANING & TARNISH PREVENTION

Storing your jewellery in plastic bags and sealing them when not in use will help prevent sterling silver from tarnishing. Store each piece individually to prevent soft stones and metals from being scratched by harder stones. Pearls are especially sensitive to acidity and humidity. It is recommended that you wrap pearl pieces in tissue and store directly in a soft bag as moisture can build up in a plastic bag and damage the pearls.

If your jewellery begins to tarnish, try soaking your jewellery in warm water with a mild liquid soap for 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and allow your jewellery to dry completely on a lint-free cloth before re-storing it in your bags. Soaking jewellery that contains soft opaque stones such as opal, coral, fluorite, lapis lazuli, pearls, turquoise, malachite, and onyx, is not recommended. Extended soaking in any solution may harm the polish on the stone. With these soft stones it is preferable to simply wipe the stones down with a little soapy water rather than soaking them. Because they are very porous they absorb liquid and can become discolored by any chemicals - even soap. To remove excessive tarnish from sterling, we recommend a jeweller’s cloth.

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SPECIAL CARE

Always remove your rings and fine jewellery before using any product that contains bleach! Bleach can cause gold and other metal alloys to breakdown leaving the metal irreparably damaged. This includes swimming pools and bathing in hot tubs as chlorine products are added to prevent bacteria growth. Always remove your jewellery before using any product that contains bleach or chlorine. These chemicals can cause gold and other metals to break down as well as discolor and damage softer stones. Besides chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone, and ammonia can cause harm. These chemicals can dull or even pit the surface on softer gemstones. Petroleum based products can actually “melt” amber if allowed to remain on the stone and they can do significant damage to pearls. Remove jewellery pieces that contain soft stones if you are doing activities that require them to be submerged in liquid for any length of time (i.e. doing dishes, bathing, swimming, etc.).