Materials & Jewellery Care
Every piece of jewellery requires some love and care after purchase. Here we give you some ideas on how to best care for your pieces and how keep them looking great. Let's break it down based on the material:
German Silver
Also "alpacca" is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc.
(Some people can have allergic reactions to nickel, causing a weeping rash that will not heal as long as the metal is in contact with the skin. If you have nickel allergy do not hesitate to quote your favorite piece in a personalized version of Sterling silver).
German silver is named due to its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated. The name "German silver" refers to its development by 19th-century German metalworkers from the Chinese alloy known as paktong (白銅)
As the price of Silver, german silver has become a great option for those designers looking to keep their pieces affordable. It will need some extra care to keep them looking clean & bright.
Always remember to wipe them down after wear to remove any dirt, chemicals or fingerprints and then we suggest to keep the pieces dry, driing it of after contact with water, sealing them in plastic pouches to further delay natural oxidisation. After awhile they will naturally oxidise and start to darken to a more gold-like tone (which a lot of customers actually prefer!).
If you want to brighten them up you can use a little dish detergent and warm water and give them a gentle scrub with a toothbrush. Another option is a common metal cleaner solution.
Brass
Is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied.
As the price of Gold, brass has become a great option for those designers looking to keep their pieces affordable. It will need some extra care to keep them looking clean & bright.
Always remember to wipe them down after wear to remove any dirt, chemicals or fingerprints and then we suggest to keep the pieces dry, driing it of after contact with water, sealing them in plastic pouches to further delay natural oxidisation. After awhile they will naturally oxidise and start to darken to a more gold-like tone (which a lot of customers actually prefer!).
If you want to brighten them up you can use a little dish detergent and warm water and give them a gentle scrub with a toothbrush. Another option is a common metal cleaner solution.
Sterling Silver
It can be easily cleaned by giving it a soak in warm water with a mild dish detergent. If it has a rough surface you can use a soft brush to clean it properly then rinse thoroughly and let it dry. For a final touch use a jewellery polishing cloth to buff it up afterwards.
Silver jewellery can tarnish over time, especially if not worn often. You can simply remove any tarnish with a polishing cloth or by using a bit of baking soda mixed with water (to form a paste). Give the piece a gentle scrub with a soft brush.
Alternatively, we suggest a silver cleaner product which requires a 10 sec dunk (be careful to not leave it in too long!) in the solution, a thorough clean and dry with a soft cloth.
Many people think the best way to keep your Silver pieces looking bright is simply to wear them as much as possible!
Stones and pearls
Pearls only require a dry cloth to keep them clean and should never come in contact with any chemicals.
General Guidelines & recommendations
Invest in a jewellery polishing cloth and always wipe down your pieces after wearing them and before putting them away.
Store your brass pieces in zip sealed plastic pouches to delay oxidisation. Or, embrace their natural effect!
Always remove jewellery before taking a shower, bath or swimming (Seawater can be very harmful to your jewels). Water, steam and humidity are all culprits for oxidisation and tarnishing.
Avoid putting on cream or spraying perfume when wearing jewellery. Also, keep in mind when you put oils or perfume being your ears where it may come into contact with earrings.
But the most important thig, try not to stress too much as most things can be easily cleaned and its much more important to enjoy wearing the jewellery!
German Silver
Also "alpacca" is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc.
(Some people can have allergic reactions to nickel, causing a weeping rash that will not heal as long as the metal is in contact with the skin. If you have nickel allergy do not hesitate to quote your favorite piece in a personalized version of Sterling silver).
German silver is named due to its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated. The name "German silver" refers to its development by 19th-century German metalworkers from the Chinese alloy known as paktong (白銅)
As the price of Silver, german silver has become a great option for those designers looking to keep their pieces affordable. It will need some extra care to keep them looking clean & bright.
Always remember to wipe them down after wear to remove any dirt, chemicals or fingerprints and then we suggest to keep the pieces dry, driing it of after contact with water, sealing them in plastic pouches to further delay natural oxidisation. After awhile they will naturally oxidise and start to darken to a more gold-like tone (which a lot of customers actually prefer!).
If you want to brighten them up you can use a little dish detergent and warm water and give them a gentle scrub with a toothbrush. Another option is a common metal cleaner solution.
Brass
Is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied.
As the price of Gold, brass has become a great option for those designers looking to keep their pieces affordable. It will need some extra care to keep them looking clean & bright.
Always remember to wipe them down after wear to remove any dirt, chemicals or fingerprints and then we suggest to keep the pieces dry, driing it of after contact with water, sealing them in plastic pouches to further delay natural oxidisation. After awhile they will naturally oxidise and start to darken to a more gold-like tone (which a lot of customers actually prefer!).
If you want to brighten them up you can use a little dish detergent and warm water and give them a gentle scrub with a toothbrush. Another option is a common metal cleaner solution.
Sterling Silver
It can be easily cleaned by giving it a soak in warm water with a mild dish detergent. If it has a rough surface you can use a soft brush to clean it properly then rinse thoroughly and let it dry. For a final touch use a jewellery polishing cloth to buff it up afterwards.
Silver jewellery can tarnish over time, especially if not worn often. You can simply remove any tarnish with a polishing cloth or by using a bit of baking soda mixed with water (to form a paste). Give the piece a gentle scrub with a soft brush.
Alternatively, we suggest a silver cleaner product which requires a 10 sec dunk (be careful to not leave it in too long!) in the solution, a thorough clean and dry with a soft cloth.
Many people think the best way to keep your Silver pieces looking bright is simply to wear them as much as possible!
Stones and pearls
Pearls only require a dry cloth to keep them clean and should never come in contact with any chemicals.
General Guidelines & recommendations
Invest in a jewellery polishing cloth and always wipe down your pieces after wearing them and before putting them away.
Store your brass pieces in zip sealed plastic pouches to delay oxidisation. Or, embrace their natural effect!
Always remove jewellery before taking a shower, bath or swimming (Seawater can be very harmful to your jewels). Water, steam and humidity are all culprits for oxidisation and tarnishing.
Avoid putting on cream or spraying perfume when wearing jewellery. Also, keep in mind when you put oils or perfume being your ears where it may come into contact with earrings.
But the most important thig, try not to stress too much as most things can be easily cleaned and its much more important to enjoy wearing the jewellery!