With any pieces of jewellery, links can be opened or broken so we suggest checking your fittings on a regular basis. We can not be held responsible should you lose or damage your item - we can try and repair certain pieces at your expense please contact us for details if you need help or advice.
Should you wish to have your pieces professionally soldered either directly on to a bracelet - such as Thomas Sabo / Links of London for added security please let us know and we can arrange on your behalf. Your charms are automatically soldered on to chosen charm carriers complimentary by a local fellow small business, who handles our soldering requirements.
With Proper Care Your Silver Will Stay In Great Condition
You should remove your jewellery before.... showering, swimming or hot tubs, sleeping (espeially necklaces which you can put strain on in the night) and to put on your pieces after using any sprays, perfume, creams and once perfumes etc have dried. It is not advisable to handle your jewellery after putting on such lotions and creams as these can then leave fingerprint marks on your jewellery.
Remove before exercising or carrying out manual work incase of excessive pressure and adding unecessary wear and tear to your custom made jewellery. The same can be said for charms on a bracelet our hands go through so much on a daily basis so having charms or keyrings banging around will cause more wear and tear than say a necklace which is kept close to your body.
Your Jewellery Is Made From Sterling Silver
Silver in general is a soft metal that will naturally mark, through general wear and tear Sterling Silver is more hard wearing than Fine Silver/Pure Silver but still requires tlc to keep it at its best.
What is Silver Tarnish?
All silver will tarnish - Silver Tarnish is the discolouration that occurs on silver items this can start of being yellowish brown - very black. This is a natural process and not a defect in the material or an indication of inferior quality, but a natural chemical process - the right care will go a long way.
What Causes Silver To Tarnish?
The presence of Hydrogen Sulphide in any material that silver comes into contact with, is one of the prime reasons for silver tarnish. Everyday products such as soaps, perfume, cleaning agents and our own natural oils can tarnish silver at a quicker rate.
Certain food like eggs and onions also cause silver tarnish. You can therefore realize that, touching silver jewellery with oily hands or after a meal could also stain your silver with tarnish. We usually find in the summer months people have accidents with sun lotion and require additional help to remove the residue they have accidentally added to their jewellery.
If your jewellery becomes in contact with household chemicals such as bleaches and detergents again it could cause discolouration of the silver.
How To Care For Silver Jewellery
Clean your jewellery on a regular basis will help keep tarnish away, we use the talk town polish cloth and all pieces are given a protective coating of anti tarnish. (This will obviously wear off over time) We would recommend a jewellers silver polishing cloth such as the talk town range and you should lightly clean over the print area so as not to damage the surface. Also very important when cleaning please do not immerse your pieces in any jewellery cleaning solution as this may take away your impression or detail - like wise some cleaning pads if used incorrectly will take away detail in the silver. We can not do anything to your pieces to restore the fingerprints.
Wear your jewellery often, however if you don't wear your jewellery often it is important to check on it as over time it could become tarished. If you find you are not wearing your silver jewellery on a regular basis storing them with a Silver Storage Strip will help and in an air tight container. The Strips absorb atmospheric pollutants and help keep your silver shining bright. Silver jewellery tarnishes easily because it undergoes a chemical reaction with sulphur containing substances that are found readily in the air. When this happens, the silver combines with the sulphur to form silver sulphide that is black and darkens your silver jewellery. For the best results, store your silver with the strips in an enclosed space, and remember to replace the strips as directed. Insert into jewellery boxes, pouches, or grip-seal bags.
Cleaning your jewellery will help here is a very simple method:
You can also use regular washing up liquid
Fill a bowl with warm (not hot) water and add a little washing liquid - the same liquid that you use to wash your dishes!
Using an old toothbrush gently clean your jewellery until you have removed the dirt and grime.
Becareful to avoid scratching or denting your jewellery on the sink or water tap!
Rinse under warm (not hot) water and dry with a clean lint-free cloth. Once dried you can then use the silver polish cloth to quickly brighten it back up.
This process will help remove any buildup of dirt,skin oils,makeup and perspiration.
What to look for
At the first stages of tarnish, mild colour change to yellowish patches this is easily cleaned using the above method.
IF your jewellery is washed with detergent you will rarely need any harsher treatments for silver tarnish. Please do not use toothpaste as this can be too abrasive for your jewellery
More Severe Cases of Tarnish
If your jewellery changes to a dark brown or black colour, silver polishes and cleaning pads are available to remove tarnish stains. There are different brands such as Talk Town, again avoid any dips as these may remove your fingerprint impressions but may need a deep clean to remove and burn away.
With the additional information provided should you wish us to care for your pieces the below charges will be applied:
Cleaning Charges
Deep Clean with re-engraving if needed £15
Please contact us to arrange dropping off your jewellery
If you are in any doubt or need for us to clean your pieces please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We give all of the above information in good faith and can not be held responsible for any miss use of advice of products