Jewelry Care

Only high quality materials were used to create your jewelry and with a few simple care tips your jewelry will stay beautiful and clean for years and years to come. These are great tips for any jewelry and can be used for everything in your collection!

  • Avoid direct contact with chemicals and oils, such as perfumes, lotions, sunscreens, harsh soaps, or self tanners.

  • While fresh water will not damage your jewelry it is recommenced to limit exposure as much as possible.

  • If you wear your jewelry in the ocean, it is recommended to rinse your piece in fresh water as soon as possible.

  • Avoid wearing your jewelry in pools and spas. The chemicals used (even in salt water pools) can oxidize and dull your jewelry quickly. If you accidentally wear in a pool or spa, rinse with fresh water as soon as possible.

  • Do not wear your jewelry while doing any vigorous activity such as working out. This is for your safety as much as it is for protecting your jewelry.

  • Try to avoid excessive pulling and tugging on your jewelry. This can cause damage and strain to chains and wires, and lead to breakage.

  • If your piece has pearls, please take extra care to avoid chemicals! Pearls, while durable, are also very porous so chemicals will affect their luster (shine).

Cleaning and Polishing

Jewelry can oxidize (tarnish) at different rates depending on many factors. For example, how you wear your jewelry, your climate and even your own body chemistry. Jewelry that has been soldered can sometimes oxidize more quickly at the solder point as the heat can cause base metals to come to the surface. Luckily, cleaning your jewelry is also quick and easy.

  • To remove dirt and oils, use a few drops of dish washing liquid (jewelers favorite is blue Dawn) diluted in warm water. Dip your jewelry in (avoid submerging pearls) and use your fingers, a soft toothbrush, or soft cloth to gently rub your jewelry then rinse with cool water and dry with a soft cloth.

  • For light tarnish I recommend a polishing cloth. You can buy my favorite one HERE but any jewelry polishing cloth will do. Follow the instructions given on the packaging. Always avoid rubbing your polishing cloth on stones and pearls.

  • For heavier tarnish you can use a jewelry cleaning liquid that is ammonia free. If it says it is safe for pearls, emeralds, opals, etc. you are probably good to go. A soft toothbrush is a great tool to gently scrub your jewelry after dipping and before rinsing with cool water. Dry jewelry with a soft cloth. I recommend doing the above two tips first and only use a cleaning liquid if necessary.

  • For heavy tarnish on sterling silver (this should only happen in rare circumstances or if your jewelry has been sitting unworn for a very long time) that still needs more polishing even after the above tips, I recommend a silver polishing dip such as Tarn-X. Follow the instructions on the bottle for your specific need. These should not be used on gold filled and only used on sterling silver as a last resort as these dips can be very harsh on jewelry and can ultimately damage your piece if used too often. Do not expose pearls or most gemstones (diamonds are alright) to dips such as Tarn-X.

Repairs

I stand behind the craftsmanship of my work. For this reason, should anything break without cause I will offer one repair free of charge at any time.

While all of my jewelry is made to be durable and withstand normal wear and tare, I also understand that accidents can happen. Should anything be damaged please CONTACT me and I will work with you on a reasonable solution. Depending on the materials and time needed for the repair, the cost will be at my discretion but will always be at a discounted rate. Customers are responsible for all return shipping costs.

All repairs also include cleaning and polishing.

No repair will be accepted without prior return authorization so please CONTACT me before sending in your item for repair.

When shipping a piece back, please take care in packaging. Secure jewelry inside a small plastic baggie or pouch, like the one it arrived in. A small box is best but if you use a padded envelope please always wrap in extra padding. I am not responsible for lost or damaged jewelry due to poor packaging.

If you have any questions about packaging feel free to contact me before sending an item for repair.

Once an item for repair is received, I will assess the repair needed and be in contact via email.