Jewelry Care

General Care

When you’re not wearing your jewelry it’s best to store it in a box, or even in small individual sealable plastic bags, to avoid scratches and to prevent tarnish. Never store your jewelry in the bathroom, the humidity in there can accelerate the tarnishing process.

To keep the piece clean, you can wash it gently with mild soap and a soft cloth, making sure it is completely dry before storing. A soft brush (like a toothbrush or paintbrush) can be used to get into any small areas to aid with cleaning your jewelry. Always be sure to be gentle with any chains when you’re cleaning or polishing a necklace.

Never apply any lotions, perfume, makeup, or other beauty products while you’re wearing your jewelry.  It’s possible that some ingredients in those products could react with the metal or stones in your jewelry, potentially causing damage by changing their color and finish.

Sterling Silver Care

Sterling silver has a small amount of copper in it to give it strength and durability (pure silver is very soft, lending itself to bending and scratching more easily). This also means it can tarnish when left unworn and exposed to the air, so the best way to keep your piece from tarnishing is to wear it often, and gently clean it with mild soap and water after! Our preferred method of removing any tarnish from your sterling silver jewelry is to use a polishing cloth or pad (avoiding any areas that have been oxidized with a patina, as this could remove the dark finish). Feel free to contact us if you’d like some specific recommendations.

Liquid silver cleaners or dips can be a fast and easy way to remove tarnish (unless the piece is oxidized with a patina, this will remove the dark finish), but many of these cleaners can be at least mildly corrosive and slowly eat away at the piece over time. Keep in mind that a lot of these cleaners and dips are also not safe for certain stones and pearls- amber, pearls, turquoise, opals, mother of pearl, natural materials, and any other soft stones should never be immersed in jewelry cleaner.

Bronze Care

Like sterling silver, bronze can tarnish or oxidize with time, so you should store it in a similar manner. One of the beautiful things about bronze is that as it ages naturally, it can darken and develop an even more rich color. We give our bronze pieces a surface treatment to help them to stay looking new as long as possible, and any chemicals in your beauty or cleaning products could affect that and make it wear off more quickly.

We recommend wiping your bronze jewelry with a soft cloth before storing it to make sure you remove any traces of oils or dirt. To clean your bronze jewelry, you can use a polishing cloth or some warm water with a gentle soap. Always make sure your bronze jewelry is completely dry before storing. For best results, store your bronze jewelry in a small plastic ziploc bag to keep it away from the air and moisture.

Never shower or swim with your bronze jewelry, as chlorinated water and some city water can be harsh on metals, especially bronze!

Some people may develop a greenish tint on their skin under any bronze jewelry, and this is not harmful. The best way to avoid it is to not wear your bronze jewelry when you’ll be sweating a lot, as the sweat can react with the copper in bronze. Keeping your jewelry clean, and wiping it off after each use will help prevent this.

Care of Stones and Pearls

Never use a sliver cleaner or dip on any jewelry that includes pearls, they can be damaged and eaten away with these cleaners! Many stones can be sensitive to these cleaners as well, so unless you know for sure that the cleaner will not harm the stone in your piece, it’s best to avoid it.

Jewelry polishing cloths are generally safe to use with pieces that contain stones and pearls, and it is easier to target smaller areas for cleaning. Generally, using a very mild soap and warm water, along with a soft cloth or brush is a safe way to remove any dirt or debris from your jewelry.

Please contact us if you have any care or cleaning questions.