How to care for your handmade jewellery
Silver jewellery will tarnish; this happens naturally when it comes into contact with air, moisture, chemicals and the natural oils in our skin. To help reduce/ remove tarnish and avoid damaging your jewellery & gemstones, please follow this guidance:
- Avoid wearing jewellery when showering, sleeping, swimming, washing dishes, cleaning with household chemicals. and undertaking strenuous activity or exercising.
- Allow cosmetic products to dry (inc lotions, perfumes, oils etc.) before putting on your jewellery.
- To keep your jewellery looking its best, you can polish it gently with a soft jewellery cloth and/ or wash it in warm very mild soapy water, using a soft toothbrush to get into any small crevices. Avoid abrasives as these can scratch your jewellery.
- Take care not to knock your jewellery on hard surfaces as this can cause gemstones to crack.
- Store your jewellery carefully to prevent scratches, protect from strong sunlight & extreme temperatures.
- Don’t soak or immerse jewellery in water as this can damage gemstones
- Don’t use silver dip ~ this can damage stones and metal over time.
Caring for Oxidised (patina’d) Jewellery
If your jewellery is oxidised (sometimes called patina – a form of surface darkening) you will notice that it changes over time. As a surface treatment; it is not permanent & will eventually change. This is a beautiful characteristic that reflects your unique life experiences.
If cleaning is required, use a soft tooth brush and warm soapy water. Avoid rubbing, hard brushes or abrasives as this can remove the oxidisation & scratch the surface.
Do not immerse in any chemicals inc. jewellery cleaning solutions as this will likely result in removing the oxidisation completely.
Caring for Brushed/ Satin Finished Jewellery
Like oxidised jewellery, brushed and satin finishes are a surface treatment & aren’t permanent.
Follow the care guidance above and in your complementary jewellery care kit to maintain the finish for as long as possible & enjoy how your jewellery changes over time & becomes unique to you.Add an answer to this item.
Caring for Vermeil Jewellery
To reduce the possibility of tarnish, any of the care tips described above should be followed particularly around abrasives and chemicals as these could wear down the silver.
To remove tarnish, clean your vermeil gold regularly using mild soap and warm water or by polishing using a soft, abrasive free polishing cloth.
Always store your vermeil jewellery in a dry place as humidity can cause tarnish. And preferably in a soft pouch to prevent any accidental scratches which can cause the vermeil to wear more quickly and allow tarnish to happen more quickly.
Extreme Tarnishing or Allergic Reactions
On occasion, some people’s skin can have a strong reaction to precious (or any) metals.
This can be because of a chemical reaction between the metal and your skin. This is often a natural reaction with one’s own body chemistry which can result in heavy tarnishing or an allergic reaction.
Sometimes it can be caused by the ingredients in a product you come into contact with like Chlorine, or use, like cosmetics, creams or hand sanitiser.
Please contact me if you have any particular issues and we can discuss possible solutions.
Thanks for reading, from Emma at My Jewellery Garden
