Caring For Your Jewellery
Our jewellery is handmade by talented artisans and built to last. With proper care, it should last you a lifetime.
The base metal in most of our jewellery is brass. Some pieces have gold plating and some are sterling silver. All our jewellery is free of lead, nickel and cadmium.
You may find that the shine on your jewellery fades a little over time; this is perfectly normal, particularly for pieces worn on high-contact areas like rings and bracelets.
HOW TO STORE YOUR JEWELLERY
All our pieces are delivered in a branded box and storage pouch. Keep your jewellery in the box or the pouch, avoiding moisture and direct sunlight.
This is the best way to protect your jewellery from damage and dirt while you aren’t wearing it.
HOW TO REDUCE WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR JEWELLERY
Your jewellery should be the last thing you put on, and the first thing you take off.
Be careful not to expose your jewellery to makeup, perfume, oils or hair products – allow these products to dry before wearing your jewellery.
You should also remove jewellery before exercise, as sweat can cause your jewellery to become dull and lose its shine.
Avoid water! Never wear your jewellery in the shower or the swimming pool, or during any activity where it may get wet.
Keep your jewellery away from any harsh chemicals such as household cleaning products, and also while doing activities where the jewellery could be knocked or scratched.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR JEWELLERY
Before you start, make sure you use a bowl and not the sink! The last thing you want is to watch your jewellery disappear down the drain.
You will also need a soft cloth, mild soap and another soft cloth for drying.
BRASS
Using mild soap and warm water, use a soft cloth to gently wipe your jewellery all over, removing dirt and grime.
Pat your jewellery all over, making sure it’s completely dry or you may find water spots which can leave a chalky residue.
Once you are sure all the moisture is gone, buff the piece with a soft cloth or jewellery polishing cloth if you have one, to bring it back to its shiny self.
If you find that your brass jewellery has become very tarnished and soapy water alone doesn’t help, then try tomato ketchup. Yes really - ketchup!
The acid from the tomatoes will gently clean the brass without causing any damage. Use and old toothbrush to gently scrub the tomato ketchup all over your jewellery – you can also use the corner of a cloth to rub gently.
If the tarnish is very stubborn, leave the ketchup on the jewellery for a few minutes before giving it a gentle scrub. Once the colour has returned, rinse thoroughly with water and mild soap, then use a soft cloth to make sure it’s completely dry and that should do the trick!
HORN
Being a natural material, horn does not tarnish but it may collect dirt over time.
Clean any horn in your jewellery by wiping it gently with a soft, damp cloth and mild soap then dry thoroughly.
BEADS
Any of our jewellery that features beads can be cleaned by wiping gently with a soft, damp cloth and mild soap.
Make sure the piece is completely dry afterwards.
GOLD PLATING
The plating on our gold pieces is 24k gold, electroplated onto brass at a thickness of about 1 micron.
You can bring back shine by rubbing or buffing gently with a soft cloth.
If the grime is more substantial, wipe using a damp cloth and mild soap, then rinse and pat dry with a soft cloth, ensuring no moisture remains.
SILVER
Some of our pieces (such as earrings) are made with 925 sterling silver, or feature sterling silver fastenings.
Over time, sterling silver tarnishes due to contact with the moisture in the air, but you can bring back its shine by buffing gently with a soft cloth and some silver polish.
You can also use a jewellery polishing cloth if you have one.