How to care for your jewelry

Regular cleaning and care ensure your handmade piece will last for years.  We strive to create pieces that can be passed on to future generations as heirlooms.  This requires proper attention to care.  Below are some tips to ensure your jewelry will be a future heirloom.

General Jewelry Care

Being careful with your handmade jewelry is important.  If you drop, bang or continually catch the piece it will weaken it over time.

We strongly encourage you to remove your jewelry for any rigorous activities like gardening, exercising and swimming.  We cannot guarantee the longevity of the stone (yes, even diamonds have natural weak points) if care is not taken.  They can break.

We ask that you remove your rings when you wash your hands or use cleaning products.  Every stone can react differently to commercial soaps and cleaning products.  Particularly, opals, emeralds and pearls are especially sensitive.

We recommend that you get your jewelry checked once a year ensuring all of your gemstones are tight in their settings.  We are happy to do that here or your local jeweler will also offer this service.  Making sure your stones are tight in their settings ensure you will not lose any and your pieces will last for generations.

Cleaning and Storage

Regular cleaning will remove dirt, surface residue and skin oil that is stick to your jewelry.  The best way to clean it is to use a soft toothbrush or soft cloth, dipped in warm soapy water and gently scrub. Commercial jewelry cleaning products are harsh, and we do not recommend using those products with gemstone jewelry.  Metal jewelry can be cleaned this way, but we recommend using is sparingly. We don't recommend the use of ultrasonic cleaners.  These methods will ruin stones like opals and emeralds.  We are more than happy to clean your jewelry for you.  Your local trusted jeweler offers this service as well.  

Store your jewelry in an organized place so that chains are not allowed to tangle as this can weaken the links.  Diamonds can scratch other stones if they are kept closely together. Make sure your natural gems are stored in a cool, dry place without constant exposure to sunlight as some gemstone's colors can fade in extreme sunlight exposure.

Stone Jewelry Tips

While cleaning a ring, be sure to scrub the underside of the stone's setting.  Dirt and oils get trapped easily in these areas.  Do not clean opals or druzy's.  Should they become dirty we are happy to clean them for you or you can take them to a local trusted jeweler.  If the opal breaks, we can replace the stone (if it's still available) for a charge. Stone replacements are not complimentary.

Natural gemstones all have different durability.  The 3 top red, white and blue are the toughest in the department of durability.  Those are ruby, diamond and sapphire.  These will resist chipping and scratching the best but there is no damage proof stone.  Please treat them with care, especially pearls and opals, thin stone slices.  These are some of the most delicate and softest gemstones so please use caution when wearing them.  

Opals and turquoise are especially vulnerable to discoloration due to high sun exposure.  Please keep them away from high heat as well to avoid damage.  Do no expose opals to any cleaning products.  Opals are very porous and will absorb liquids readily.  If left in water too long, they will become dull temporarily until the water evaporates.

Metal Jewelry Care

Traditional gold or silver jewelry cleaner is an acceptable way to clean your metal (gemstone free) jewelry.  If you piece is oxidized, please be aware that the oxidation may be removed.

Oxidized silver is not a permanent treatment and will fade over time reveals the shiny bright metal underneath. Each person's body chemistry is very different and will fade the oxidation at various rates. One person may notice it after a few weeks, a different person after a few years.  Please contact us if you would like to have your jewelry re-blackened (oxidized) at any time.  

 

Repair Policy

Although we search countless hours for the most unique gemstones, high quality materials and create each piece to the highest standards, we cannot control what happens to them once they leave us.  We are not responsible for damage to stones due to wear and tear.  Any stone that breaks will be repaired, if possible, and charged accordingly.  We are not responsible for lost earrings or broken chain unless it is an obvious manufacturing defect.  This is something our trained bench jeweler can tell us.  

 

Thank you again for your purchase.  Peace and wellness to you.