Jewelry care
How to care for your favourite jewelry to keep it looking like new!
When you are not wearing your jewelry, store it in a dry place as moisture can lead to tarnish. It's best to keep pieces separate from one another to avoid tangling and damage. The cotton cloth bag it comes in is perfect for this!
I also recommend taking off your jewelry to bathe, swim or sleep to keep it looking like new.
ABOUT THE METALS I USE
Gold fill
14K gold fill is a professional jewelers grade metal. It is a favourite to use because it has the look and feel of solid gold, but comes at a lower cost. Your gold filled jewelry will not tarnish, chip, or peel. It is just like wearing solid gold and is safe for sensitive ears.
Gold filled is NOT plated. It is solid 14K gold mechanically bonded to a brass or sterling silver base.
There is 100 times more gold in gold filled than in something that has been gold plated. This layer of gold must be a minimum of 1/20th of the total metal weight to be called gold filled.
it does not tarnish, but it can be cleaned with a soft cloth to keep dust and dirt off.
Brass
I choose to use vintage brass for almost all of my chains, because it is a sustainable and affordable option for jewelry making. Brass has vintage vibes and a beautiful golden colour to it. Because it has no plating on it, (meaning it is a raw material) it is recyclable. This also means that the golden will never wear off, making it a lovely option + with a little bit of care will last you for years to come.
It does darken up over time and develop a patina which is lovely and can be just as beautiful as bright shiny brass. It can also tarnish (the same as sterling silver) and depends on how often an item is worn and the makeup of the persons skin and perspiration. If you notice this in your jewelry, no worries! This is normal and can be easily cleaned, using regular household ingredients or a product called brasso that is easily found in most grocery stores.
My tried and true method is as follows :
Apply Brasso to a soft clean cloth and buff into the surface of the brass. Once your whole piece is covered, use a new clean cloth to remove the remaining cleaner and buff to a shine. For very tarnished brass, this method may need to be repeated, or allow the polish to sit a few minutes before buffing off.
brass is best stored in a dry safe place, as moisture speeds up the patina process. I recommend removing your brass jewelry before bathing, swimming or exercising
Sterling silver
Sterling is an alloy consisting of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. The wire I use is a professional jewelry grade and is not plated so it will never chip or peel.
Because sterling silver contains copper, it can tarnish over time and deepen in colour to a dark patina. To shine it back up again, use a soft cloth and some jewelry polish like "Silvo".