Jewelry Care Guide

I use high-quality recycled metals that are not coated or plated with other materials therefore they will naturally darken with time. Many of my pieces are intentionally darkened to enhance the details of the piece. Below are my recommendations on caring for pieces with a bright silver finish and darkened patina finish.

Bright Silver Care

If you prefer a bright silver finish on your jewelry you can maintain its shine with a jewelry polishing cloth. Gently rub your piece with the cloth to give it a nice shine. The cloth contains a polishing compound and will darken as it shines the metal. Do not wash the cloth as it will remove the polishing compound. The cloth will continue to work despite its blackened appearance. Never apply excessive pressure and pull hard on chains when using a polishing cloth as this can stretch chain links leading to breakage. If your jewelry needs a deeper cleaning to remove tarnish in the recesses there is a natural way that is safe for your jewelry and the environment. It works great on chains and won't damage them like harsh chemical dips. Follow these easy steps to remove tarnish but DO NOT do this on pieces that have been intentionally darkened patina.

  • Use a soft bristle toothbrush, warm water, and mild dish detergent like Dawn Original to clean your jewelry piece.
  • Line a heat-safe bowl with aluminum foil
  • Lay your clean piece of jewelry on the aluminum foil.
  • Mix about a Tbs of baking soda with a cup of water. If your jewelry piece is all silver with no stones you can use hot water. If your jewelry piece has stones use only warm tap water as you do not want to heat shock the stones or they will break. 
  • Pour the baking soda/water mixture over the jewelry piece in the aluminum foil-lined bowl and let sit for several minutes. You may have to repeat the process if there is very heavy tarnishing. 
  • Rinse and dry your jewelry piece thoroughly then follow it up with a gentle rub with a polishing cloth.

Darkened Silver Care

To clean jewelry pieces that have been intentionally darkened use a jewelry polishing cloth. Gently rub your piece with the cloth to give the high points a nice shine and leave the patina in the recesses. The cloth contains a polishing compound and will darken as it shines the metal. Do not wash the cloth as it will remove the polishing compound. The cloth will continue to work despite its blackened appearance. Never apply excessive pressure as this can remove the intentional darkening and subtle texture of the pieces. Also, excessive pressure and pulling hard on chains when using a polishing cloth may break or stretch the links. When your jewelry needs a deeper cleaning use a soft bristle toothbrush, warm water, and a mild dish detergent like Dawn Original to clean the piece. Thoroughly rinse and dry before following up with a gentle rub of the polishing cloth.

If you accidentally remove the intentionally darkened patina, please contact me and I can re-patina your piece for a small fee.