Jewellery Care Tips

Silver

I use sterling silver for all my silver jewellery. Sterling silver is also known as 925 silver which means it is 92.5% pure silver and the rest is usually copper. Silver is mixed with other materials to make it harder and therefore we can use it to make jewellery. Silver does tarnish though and this is because of sulphur in the air and the copper in the silver. Try to keep silver jewellery is a box or bag away from the air when not being worn.

To clean your silver jewellery you can simply pop some lukewarm water with some washing up liquid into a bowl. Then, let it soak for twenty minutes and using an old toothbrush, rub the jewellery between soaking. This will bring it up really well. Then simply rinse and dry off with a clean microfibre cloth. If further cleaning is needed, a silver cleaning cloth can be used or I recommend a creamy cleaner called Glanol which can be bought online.

Pearls

Pearls are organic materials so we need to look after them. Because they are natural shells we need to put knots between the pearls to prevent them from rubbing against each other causing damage and to stop dirt getting inside the pearls. Most of my pearls will be hand knotted depending on the style of the jewellery and quality of pearls used.  

To keep your pearls looking lovely at home, wipe them with a slightly damp clean microfibre cloth after use, but be careful not to pull them as they will stretch the silk thread.

Gold

I am using 14k filled gold to make my gold jewellery. This means that there is at least 5% gold and the rest is other metals such as brass. A 14k gold fill piece of jewellery is created by wrapping an actual layer of 14k gold around a jewellers brass core (typically 90% copper and 10% zinc) This is because pure gold is soft and attaching it to other metals makes it harder and more usable for jewellery making. (There is also “gold plated” which is just a thin layer of gold; about 0.05%, attached to a base metal, so has less gold than the ”gold filled” that I use)

To clean your 14k gold jewellery, simply pop some lukewarm water with some washing up liquid into a bowl. Then, let it soak for twenty minutes and using an old toothbrush, rub the jewellery between soaking. This will bring it up really well. Then simply rinse and dry off with a clean microfibre cloth. If further cleaning is needed a gold cleaning cloth or Glanol cream cleaner is great and can be bought online.

Pearl Restringing

Over time the string on your pearls may need replacing and this is a service I can offer. Price will be dependant on the pearls and length of the necklace (typically its £80 for a 16-18 inch necklace), so please get in touch if this is something you would like me to quote for.

Gemstones

The gemstones that I use for jewellery are mostly classed as minerals. These are naturally occurring materials and are the work of nature. They come in every colour known to man and no two gemstones are ever the same. Each gem stone will have its own individual characteristics making them unique.

To clean your gemstones, simply wipe with a microfibre cloth or pop some lukewarm water with some washing up liquid into a bowl. Then, let it soak for twenty minutes and using an old toothbrush, rub the jewellery between soaking. then rinse off and dry with a microfibre cloth.

Imitation Crystals & Pearls

Some of my jewellery items have been made using man-made crystals and pearls. The materials come from a manufacturer that produce extremely beautiful imitations so good its hard to tell the difference. The crystals are high quality crystal glass which have been cut to give them amazing clarity and resemble diamonds. The pearls are perfect replicas of genuine pearls and feature a crystal core and have a special coating which means they come across very realistic and make beautiful luxurious jewellery.

Both crystals and pearls should be cleaned using a microfibre cloth. Damp one half of the cloth and keep the other side dry. Gently clean with the damp side and polish with the dry side. Be careful not to pull the beads as you don’t want to damage or stretch any material they have been strung with.