Jewellery Care Instructions
Jewellery Care
All Maisy Eve design pieces are made from 100% recycled fine or sterling silver. This means that the colour of these pieces should not wear off as can happen with plated jewellery.
Sterling silver tarnishes naturally over time, there are many reasons tarnishing can happen. Tarnishing is a process caused by the reaction between the metal in your jewellery and moisture, air or chemicals in the environment. This causes the metal to become dull and gradually darken over time. All jewellery is susceptible to this, but this can be removed easily with the following care tips.
Tarnish can be removed by gently cleaning with polishing cloths (such as the polishing cloth provided by us with your order), but be sure to avoid polishing over gemstones. If there is a lot of tarnish you can use silver or gold cleaning solutions but take care to use sparingly as they contain harsh chemicals - it is best to avoid these completely with any gemstone set jewellery.
At Maisy Eve designs we do not recommend liquid or paste polish, as many of these products are harsh and will eventually strip away silver and can cause pitting on the surface.
Ways to limit Tarnishing:
You can limit tarnishing by:
Avoiding contact with chlorinated water.
Storing your jewellery in a clean, dry place with a soft lining to minimise scratches and exposure to the elements.
Avoiding harsh chemicals. If you need to clean your pieces it’s best to stick to mild soap and water with a soft toothbrush (childs toothbrush is recommended).
Avoiding contact with: makeup, hairspray, lotions, perfume and suncream.
Even the pH of sweat can cause tarnishing so for ultimate care its best to take jewellery off when sleeping, exercising and showering; this also reduces the risk of accidental damage.
Medications in the wearers system, especially certain antibiotics, can also cause jewellery to blacken or discolour.
Consider Jewellery as the last thing you put on when going out, and the first thing you take off before going to bed!
Some finishes such as oxidised black patinas and satin finishes are surface treatments and will wear off with time: the speed of this depends on the level of wear, for example earrings will maintain their finish much longer than a ring. It is possible to renew these finishes; if you would like to know more then contact me directly.
How do I clean my sterling silver products that have an Oxidised (patina) finish?
Oxidised silver is deliberately tarnished, which creates a black sheen for an antique or discoloured appearance. Due to its tarnished nature, caring instructions for oxidised silver differs from traditional, non-oxidised silver materials.
You should avoid using a silver polish as this will strip the oxidised finish from the silver. Instead, Maisy Eve designs recommend cleaning your oxidised silver by using a dry, clean cloth to avoid scratching. Only clean oxidised silver when necessary.
How often should I polish my silver?
Polishing silver is done to remove tarnish and shine silver pieces and should only be done a few times in the lifetime of a piece. This is because every time silver is polished, metal is removed from the piece.
Ways to clean your silver jewellery.
Here are some simple ways to clean your jewellery without the use of any harsh or expensive chemicals.
Silver polishing cloth- Best method
Silver polishing cloths are impregnated with a cleaning compound
Make sure you use a polishing cloth that is made for silver as they often contain a special cleaner in them & there are cloths for many different metal types.
All you have to do is buff the jewellery over with the cloth!
Be careful not to go over gemstones.
Good old washing up liquid and warm water - Gentle clean
You can clean silver jewellery using a mild washing up liquid mixed with warm water. Leave your items in the mixture for 5 minutes to help soften any build up, then take a soft microfibre cloth and rub gently. For the more stubborn areas around stones or in crevices then use a soft bristle brush - a child's toothbrush is ideal for this. Rinse the jewellery off and then dry it.
If you find that hasn’t worked then try the next method:
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in warm water - Abrasive Clean
DO NOT USE THIS METHOD if your jewellery has gemstones, patina on or glass beads. This is a slightly harsher method as the bicarbonate of soda acts as an abrasive which could scratch glass or gemstones & it will remove a patina.
Use a plastic bowl and line it with kitchen foil, next add enough warm water to cover all the items you’re cleaning once they’re in the bowl. Add one to two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda (depending on how many pieces of jewellery are being cleaned at one time), place the silver items in the container, there will be a little bit of fizzing but this is completely normal and helps with the removal of tarnish. Use a microfiber cloth or soft toothbrush to add it to the jewellery. Work it in for a bit, carefully rubbing and then rinse under cold water. Use a polishing cloth to give the jewellery a final finish.
How to clean silver with toothpaste
You can also use a non-gel, non-abrasive toothpaste to help restore the appearance to your silver jewellery (not advisable if gemstones or beads are present as it may get stuck in the holes). Squeeze some on to a soft cloth or soft toothbrush, rub into the silver. Leave for five minutes then rinse off with water. Dry with a clean cloth.
Storing your silver jewellery is just as important as knowing how to clean your pieces.
Silver jewellery is actually best by being worn, but when it isn't being worn then here are some simple tricks to help prevent it from tarnishing.
Silver should be stored in dry, in an airtight container out of direct sunlight.
Small sealable plastic bags are also a good way of storing your pieces - not very eco friendly so you may not wish to store them this way.
The box that the piece came in with an anti-tarnish strip, again not a very eco friendly method as the strips need replacing every 6 months or sooner depending on their storage.
If you have any questions about your item or how to clean them please do not hesitate to get in touch.