Jewellery Care

Sterling Silver

Pure silver is a very soft metal which can be scratched easily. To overcome this softness and provide the strength necessary to ensure the quality and longevity of my designs I use 925 sterling silver, which is a mixture of two metals:
92.5% pure silver (hence the name 925) and 7.5% of other metals, usually copper. Designs with less than 7.78Grams of 925 sterling silver are exempt from hallmarking when sold in the UK.
To enhance the appearance of my jewellery, when doing Bezel work, I use 99% pure silver.  This ensures optimal beauty as the Bezel work is not then as susceptible to tarnishing.
Over time perfume, hair sprays and even perspiration can cause pieces of sterling silver jewellery to lose shine and to tarnish.

This can be easily rectified in several ways:-

  • Use a silver cleaning cloth specially treated to clean your sterling silver.  These are widely available from many stores.

  • Cleaning dips for intricate pieces are available at most jewellery counters, we recommend that you rinse off the solution once you have finished dipping.

  • Store your jewellery in a jewellery box lined with anti-tarnish material which contains a special chemical to absorb moisture.

  • After taking your jewellery off, wrap in tissue paper or place it into a zip top bag removing most of the air before sealing.

Seaglass

Once you have collected or purchased your sea glass, the outer surface will have a distinctive ‘frosting’ across its surface resembling the effect of being dipped in icing sugar, this is due to the hydration process from prolonged exposure to the sea water.  Frosting is a natural characteristic of authentic sea glass.

Once the sea glass has been handled or worn against the skin for a period of time this ‘frosting’ can diminish and become more transparent, this is because your natural body oils can build up across the surface of the sea glass.

Washing your seaglass in warm soapy water is the ideal way to remove the oils and renew the ‘frosting’.  We suggest that whenever you wash your jewellery to use a plastic bowl and ensure the sink plug is in place so you reduce the risk of losing your treasured jewellery.

If you wish to further enhance the colour of your sea glass, we suggest rubbing in a small amount of baby oil or lavender oil to hide the frosting and brighten the colour.