Jewelry Care
Our jewelry is handcrafted to last a lifetime, however it is important to know how to care for each type of metal that we use.
The following is true for all metals:
Don't Wear Jewelry In Swimming Pools and Spas
Chlorinated water can react with the metals found in jewelry causing color changes and oxidization. As a result it's a good idea to remove jewelry before entering the pool or spa.
Put Jewelry On After Applying Makeup
Cosmetics, hairspray, perfumes and lotion can contain chemicals that can often damage jewelry. Putting jewelry on after applying these products will limit the damage to your jewelry.
Remove Jewelry During Tasks and Sports
When performing kitchen work, gardening, cleaning the house and other common tasks, remove your jewelry to prevent physical damage or exposure to chemicals or cleaning fluids. All jewelry should be removed before doing sports because perspiration also affects metals.
Remove Your Jewelry Before Bathing
Remove all jewelry before showering or cleaning. Soap can cause a film to form, making it appear dull and dingy. The acid in some lotion or soap may cause tarnishing.
.925 Sterling:
The most sought-after metal for jewelry because it of its anti-tarnishing properties, durability, and gentleness on the skin. .925 refers to the concentration of silver in the material. The other 7.5% is copper, which helps give the metal an additional strength. Pure silver is too malleable to hold its shape.
Sterling Silver will naturally oxidize due to a reaction with chemicals in the environment and air. With the right care methods your Sterling Silver pieces will be shining bright always.
When you receive your sterling silver jewels, you may notice a black ‘anti-tarnish’ tab in the bottom of your Saraswati box. These tabs absorb chemicals in the air before it affects your jewels. If you choose to keep your jewels in the box provided it will prevent oxidization from occurring.
No matter how much care you take towards your sterling jewels, they will still need a polish up now and then! Polishing your sterling silver jewelry with a Sunshine cloth is typically the best way to clean it.
If your item is designed to be oxidized as a part of the design, then be careful not to polish off the oxidization as this may ruin the design details.
18k Gold Vermeil:
Gold vermeil is a thick coating of 18k gold over sterling silver. Gold vermeil will eventually wear off, revealing the silver beneath. However, you won’t believe how long your gold will last if you follow these simple golden rules:
- Store your jewelry in a fabric pouch when it’s not being worn with the black “anti-tarnish” tab we include.
- Take off your jewelry before bed. Polish only very lightly with a polishing cloth, if at all.
- The more it is rubbed, the more the silver underneath will start to show through.
White Bronze and Brass:
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and will naturally tarnish when exposed to oxygen. White bronze is very similar to brass, though the alloy is copper and tin, and it oxidizes much less. It looks very similar to sterling silver but is considerably more affordable.
Some people like the patina of tarnished brass and the tarnish is actually a protective layer for the brass, but if you want to get the shine of the new brass it's pretty easy to do with some typical household products. A Sunshine cloth also works well.
If the tarnish isn't too pervasive take about 2 tablespoons of baking soda and add drops of lemon juice - from concentrate is fine - until you have a nice paste. The lemon juice will bubble and fizz as you add, don't worry it'll stop after a second or two. Take an old toothbrush and apply the paste to your piece and scrub. Let it sit in the paste for about 30 minutes and then rinse it with water and dry it thoroughly.
If the piece is heavily tarnished or the above doesn't work, you can place the piece in vinegar and let it soak for 30-60 minutes and then scrub it with an old toothbrush. Once clean, rinse it with water. This cleaning method is more aggressive and may leave the piece more "raw" looking - it won't have as warm a color until the patina rebuilds.
Oils from your skin and the oxygen in the air are what accelerate tarnishing. If you want to slow the tarnish process, wipe the piece with a soft cotton rag after wearing and store in a plastic bag with black “anti-tarnish” tab we include.
Electroplate:
We feature a collection of wonderful druzy jewelry that has metals adhering directly to the stone (rather than bezel setting those stones). This gives the jewelry a natural and organic feel which is very pleasing. However, most metals will not adhere directly to stone, so the base metal on all electroplated pieces is always copper, which does adhere well to stone. On top of the copper is a thick layer of either .925 silver, or 18k gold, which adheres strongly to the copper.
The top layer rarely wears off to reveal the underlying copper and does not oxidize easily either. However, since the metals are dipped rather than formed and set, there can be a small amount of silver or gold around the top edge of the stone. This is natural and enhances the organic beauty of the jewelry.