Care Guide
Imitation jewellery lasts far longer than most people expect, and the difference between a set that looks new after three years and one that looks tired after three months is almost entirely in how it is stored.
The one rule that matters
Last on, first off. Put your jewellery on after perfume, hairspray, moisturiser and makeup, and take it off before you take off anything else. Alcohol and oils are what strip a gold polish, and they are in almost every cosmetic.
Storage
- Keep each piece in its own pouch or a lined box compartment. Pieces rubbing against each other is the second biggest cause of wear after cosmetics.
- Add a silica gel sachet to the box — the ones that come in shoe boxes work perfectly. Humidity is what tarnishes brass.
- Never store jewellery in the bathroom, however convenient it is.
Cleaning
Wipe with a dry, soft cotton cloth after every wear. That is genuinely all most pieces need.
For stone work that has dulled, use a dry soft toothbrush to lift dust out of the settings. Do not use water, soap, toothpaste, lemon or any commercial silver cleaner on plated jewellery — they all remove the polish, some of them immediately.
What to keep it away from
Water, sweat, perfume, hairspray, chlorine, sea water, and household cleaning products. Take pieces off before swimming, before the gym, and before you sleep.
The finish will wear
Plating is a coating, and coatings wear. Regular wear shows wear and tear — first at the contact points, where a piece rubs against something: clasp edges, the underside of a ring, the back of a bangle where it meets a table.
How soon depends entirely on how a piece is worn and stored, and it varies far too much between people for us to put a figure on it — how often you wear it, what it rubs against, how warm you run, whether it meets perfume or water. So we do not give a figure, and we give no warranty on finish. The care above is what makes the difference, and it makes a large one.
None of this is a defect. It is what plated jewellery does.
If a piece is important to you and the finish has gone, most local jewellers will re-plate brass for a modest fee.