Jewelry care

Thank you for buying some of my jewelry! Here are some tips, tricks, and general information to help you get the most out of your new jewelry.

Tarnish

Copper, sterling silver, and brass will tarnish over time and develop a patina unique to each piece. This is normal! Factors that affect tarnishing include how much you handle the piece, your individual skin chemistry, and the ambient humidity of your climate.

Please note that for some people, their sweat will very quickly tarnish jewelry, while for others, it barely happens at all. If you find your jewelry tarnishes and patinas more quickly than you expect, chances are you just have tarnish-prone skin chemistry.

How to prevent tarnish

There are a few simple steps to help prevent tarnish and slow down how quickly it happens:

  • Keep your jewelry away from moisture.
    • Don't wear your jewelry while showering or swimming.
    • Don't wear your jewelry at the gym (also for safety reasons...)
    • Remove your jewelry before washing your hands or doing the dishes.
  • Put on your jewelry after any cosmetics, lotions, and perfumes, and only after they've fully dried.

Cleaning

Only clean your jewelry with gentle cleaners specifically designed or intended for the metals involved. It's best to start with clean water and a mild soap, then move to a polish or cleaning agent if needed.

Always use a glass or plastic bowl when cleaning your jewelry. Using a metal bowl may cause galvanic corrosion, or accidentally electroplate your jewelry.

Dry jewelry cloths

I include a small Sunshine® Polishing Cloth (the softer blue variety) with every jewelry purchase. Gently buff your clean and dry jewelry with this cloth to remove tarnish and restore its luster.

Cleaning agents

There's a wide variety of metal polishes available. Make sure to thoroughly read the label and instructions for each polish so you understand what metals it's intended for.

Test all cleaning agents in an inconspicuous area first! Get a tiny bit on a Q-tip and gently rub the jewelry with it. Check for discoloration, fogging, staining, or any other undesirable results.

Cleaning mixed-metal jewelry

I recommend never using an acid-based cleaner on jewelry containing more than one type of metal. Your best bet is to use a dry polishing cloth or paste polish, to avoid the metals reacting with each other in unexpected ways.

Safety

Keep yourself safe, prevent injuries, and prevent damage to your jewelry. No beautiful jewelry is worth the risk of a life-altering accident.

  • Remove your jewelry before sleeping or exercising.
  • Store jewelry in individual boxes or bags, and where pets and small children can't get to them.
  • Always remove all jewelry of any type when a medical professional asks you to.

Storage

To best protect and preserve your jewelry, store each piece individually in a soft cloth bag or a jewelry box. Keep these bags and boxes closed, and in a cool, dark place.

If you need to store jewelry together, like in a ring box with multiple slots for rings, store like metals with each other. Some metals can cause faster corrosion or tarnishing in other metals.

Why does copper turn my skin green?

Copper jewelry can turn your skin green due to a chemical reaction between the metal and your sweat. This chemical reaction produces copper chelates, which your skin can absorb. The good news is that our bodies only absorb as much copper chelates as they need; any excess is what turns your skin green.

Please note that when your skin turns green from this, it is not harmful, nor is it an allergic reaction. Some people actually intentionally wear copper jewelry for just this purpose, for health reasons.

Copper is also antimicrobial and antifungal, so you don't have to worry about the green marks being a sign of infection at all.