Jewellery Care
General Info
- When your jewellery is not being worn, keep them stored in the box they arrived in (with the lid on) to help prevent tarnishing. It's best to keep them stored individually.
- Expect the finishes to change and age with wear.
- Take off jewellery before showering, swimming, washing dishes etc. Try to keep them dry. If they do get wet, pat them dry with a non-abrasive cloth.
- All finishes can be restored to their original state if desired!
STERLING SILVER
Sterling Silver will eventually tarnish with prolonged exposure to the air. It's a natural process that's non-permanent and easily removable. We recommend using a store bought silver cleaner to remove tarnish. Products can be found at your local hardware store for around $10 and will last a long time. We use Silvo metal polish. Please make sure you follow the instructions as directed on the silver cleaning solution.
RECOMMENDED STEPS
1. Use a small amount of the silver cleaning product on a non-abrasive cloth and wipe over the tarnished areas of your jewellery. USE GLOVES! and a designated cloth for cleaning your sterling silver. It should wipe off straight away.
2. Clean the solution off your jewellery with water and a gentle soap. Keep your gloves on during this step, and clean them at the same time.
3. Pat dry with another non-abrasive cloth that's clean.
It's as easy as that! Frequent wear can also help prevent tarnishing as skin oils provide a protective layer to the metal surface.
BLACK SILVER
Blackened Silver is basically very tarnished or oxidized silver. It is a surface patina that has been applied using Liver of Sulfur and then coated with a thin layer of wax to help protect the finish. It may wear off with prolonged wear revealing the silver surface underneath.
To restore the black silver finish, we recommend reaching out to us if you're in Montreal and we'll reapply it free of charge. Otherwise a jeweller in your local area will be able to do it!
BRONZE
The bronze we use is designed to age. It starts out a light orange almost copper colour, then slowly darkens, turning golden and eventually a rich brown, black or red colour. This is a natural and harmless process occurring over the period of a few weeks - months. The bronze items can be left out in the open and don't need to be stored in individual boxes.
CLEANING STEPS:
1. To clean the bronze surface it can be wiped with a wet non-abrasive cloth and a gentle soap. Be careful not to wet the leather.
2. Pat dry with a clean cloth.
3. To restore to the original light orange colour please reach out to us or a jeweller in your local area. Note that it will likely age again quite quickly.
RHODIUM PLATING
The rhodium plated bangles don't require too much care as rhodium does not tarnish. With prolonged wear the plating may wear down revealing the surface underneath. In this case the rhodium plating can be re-applied.
LEATHER
The leather will arrive to you freshly cut and somewhat stiff. It will need to be worn in! Overtime the leather will age and take on a lighter colour around the holes that are used more frequently.
RECOMMENDED CARE:
1. When storing your belt try to keep it hung up or coiled. It can easily mould to the shape it's left in especially when folded or wet.
2. Try to keep the leather cord of the adjustable necklaces laying flat or hung up. The cord is likely to warp and not sit correctly when being worn if they're stored wrapped up. To correct a warped cord, lay it flat under a heavy item overnight.
3. Use an over-the-counter leather cleaner and conditioner as desired, and follow the instructions as listed on the product. Be careful not to it apply it to the belt buckle.
Please reach out at pauledwardjewellery@gmail.com if you have any questions about jewellery care!