Jewelry Care
Sterling silver
925 Sterling Silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure Silver and 7.5% Copper.
Care
- H2O sensitive. Avoid water when wearing your piece, because over time the sterling silver will oxidize.
- However, the oils in your skin help keep sterling silver from oxidizing faster. So, wear often, and keep your piece in your Talisman box/pouch to keep oxygen at bay.
Gold Vermeil
Not to be confused with regular gold plating, vermeil is a much thicker layer of gold which gives the pieces their long lasting color. For a piece to be considered vermeil, the gold must be a minimum of 10k and 1.5 microns. We use 18k gold layered on sterling silver.
Care
- Sweat and water, no thank you. Before exercising or showering, remove your vermeil jewelry. Clean your piece by buffing gently with a dry cloth and store it in your pouch/box.
Nickel-Free Brass
Similar to Sterling, brass naturally oxidizes from air exposure. Brass is a metal alloy of copper and zinc making it naturally nickel-free. Some people may find that their skin reacts with brass. This reaction is a result of your skins pH balance.
Care
- We do not recommend showering, swimming, or exercising in your brass jewelry. Brass is very durable and easy to clean to like-new with a polishing cloth, but some prefer not to polish their brass and let it develop its beautiful natural patina.
Gold-Plated Nickel-Free Brass
Plating is a process where a layer of gold is placed on to coat the surface of another metal. As the jewelry is not 100% solid gold, extra care should be taken to maximize its lifespan. Anything plated will eventually tarnish with time and wear.
Care
- We do not recommend showering, swimming, or exercising in your gold-plated jewelry. Wait until your lotion or cream is dry or has been absorbed by your skin before you wear your gold plated ring, bracelet or necklace. Gently rubbing the surface of your gold plated jewelry using a soft jewelry cloth, helps restore shine. Do *not* use a polishing cloth as this will strip away the plating.
- If your jewelry needs more cleaning you may clean it with warm, soapy water. Soak it for a few minutes and you may clean it with a soft cloth. Stay away from jewelry cleaners and antibacterial soaps which may have certain components that will make your gold plated jewelry tarnish more quickly. Store like items together. Do not store gold plating and silver plating together. The different metals will cause each other to tarnish, fade and/or turn colors.
Silver-Plated Nickel-Free Brass
Silver plated items are made from a thin coating of pure silver over other metals. When the coating of silver flakes or scrapes off, the base metal underneath is revealed.
All silver-plated jewelry will tarnish at some point, as the chemicals from daily wear and the exposed layer of silver react with air to change the color of a piece. Silver-plated jewelry has a thin layer of silver that covers a base metal, often brass. Because the coating is thin on the base, cleaning needs to be careful but complete to keep up an item's shine.
The Best Way to Clean Silver-Plated Jewelry:
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Cover the inside of a bowl with aluminum foil.
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Pour 1 tbsp. baking soda and 1 tbsp. salt into a bowl.
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Fill the bowl half full of hot water.
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Stir the contents of the bowl to mix them.
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Submerge the silver plated jewelry in the solution.
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Wait 10 minutes before removing the jewelry.
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Rinse the jewelry and wipe it dry with a lint-free cloth.
Gemstones
All of our gemstones are genuine mineral stones that are highly valued for their beauty, longevity, and rarity. We use an array of precious and semi-precious stones, from topaz to citrine. These are either cabochon stones which are cut like smooth domes or faceted stones which are the flat faces on geometric shapes.
Care
- Gemstones can be gently cleansed with warm, soapy water. It is important to avoid daily exposure to chemicals, liquids, water, and sunlight as this can reduce the color and luster of the stone. We recommend removing jewelry with gemstones before washing hands or showering.