Jewellery care
Looking after your jewellery
Your jewellery has been made with love and care, and it will look it’s best if you look after it, and handle it with love and care.
Jewellery is not indestructible, precious metals can tarnish, scratch, and dent, and gems can dull, crack, and chip if not treated with respect.
As is it meant to be worn and enjoyed, to a certain extent some wear and tear is unavoidable (and I believe that this can actually enhance the piece, by becoming a part of its story), having said that, to keep your jewellery looking good you should treat it kindly. It is strongly recommended that you protect your jewellery from knocks and scratches, and avoid exposing it to perfumes, oils and household chemicals.
In general:
- Don’t shower, swim, or sleep in your jewellery
- Don’t wear your jewellery when doing housework, washing up, cleaning, gardening, or any other type of hands on work, where it might get knocked, or be exposed to chemicals
- Don’t wear your jewellery when exercising, or at the gym
- Avoid spraying perfume, or applying cosmetics or creams where they might come into direct contact with your jewellery
- Store your jewellery pieces separately, so that pieces don’t rub against each other, or get tangled, ideally in an airtight bag, away from heat and humidity, to reduce tarnishing
Cleaning & care
All metals will tarnish over time. Do not use tissue paper or paper towels to clean metal as they can cause scratching.
Polished finish: If your jewellery has a polished finish you can use a jewellery polishing cloth to keep it looking shiny and lustrous.
Matt finish: to keep your matt finish pieces looking beautifully matt use a silver or gold cleaning foam, or a warm mild detergent solution for general cleaning (if the items are not too dirty or tarnished), rinse thoroughly, and dry with a soft cloth. Do not use silver or gold polishing cloths as they will polish away the matt finish.
Oxidised finish: the patina can be enhanced and maintained by polishing with beeswax furniture polish or museum wax, these can also bring back the lustre if it becomes dull or less black.
Do not use a polishing cloth or silver cleaner as they will remove the oxidation. The black can wear off if it comes into contact with hard or rough surfaces, if this happens it can be re-oxidised for you.
Store individual items separately to avoid them rubbing together, and scratching the oxidised surface.
Snake chain: This chain should be stored flat and never be bent beyond its natural curve.
Gemstones: Gemstone jewellery can be cleaned with warm (not hot!) water and a gentle colourless detergent to remove dirt and grime, dry with a soft cloth. Delicates stones like pearls and opals should be cleaned using an untreated, dry, soft cloth only.
It’s a good idea to have your gemstone set jewellery checked by a jeweller every few years to ensure that the stones are safe, as all metals can wear over time, and bumps and knocks can weaken settings.