important

please do not expose pearls (freshwater or otherwise) to water or chemicals.

this same sensitive treatment is required for opals and moonstones

 

caring for gold and gold-plated items

to ensure the longevity of a gold-plated item, taking breaks in between wearing as well as infrequent exposure to water (particularly chlorinated water), chemicals and household or beauty products is essential.

solid gold pieces can be worn in water as well, however the same long-term care in regards to frequent use and exposure to products or textures applies to gold pieces

gold-plating will eventually show wear with time, and factors such as the acidity and moisture in your skin will contribute to this.

do not clean your gold or gold-plated piece with any strong chemicals, cleaning with handsoap and water and carefully drying, as well as going over once dry with a gold polishing cloth if necessary, will suffice.

 

caring for sterling silver

sterling silver contains a small amount of copper to strengthen the silver, making it less prone to denting and damage

when sterling silver is exposed to humidity or water for an extended period of time the copper may oxidize, tarnishing the metal and, depending on reactivity, the skin

most of my pieces are plated with rhodium for longer wear and protection, particularly necklace chains and hoops that come into direct contact with skin so tarnish will most likely not occur

however, the following steps are recommended if you woud like to keep your piece in the best condition

 

steps for long wear

to ensure your piece stays in good condition, please dry the piece after wearing in water and avoid chlorinated water or putting the piece in water that has chemicals in it

in dense, humid temperatures, ensure that the piece has oppurtunity to dry and take breaks between wearing as humidity may tarnish the piece over time.

this also applies to moist environments and skin, so if you have very sweaty palms for example, having breaks between wearing sterling silver rings and drying/cleaning the rings is recommended to prevent tarnishing

 

cleaning a sterling silver piece

should your piece appear dull or tarnished, scrubbing it thoroughly with a small amount of dishwashing liquid and a toothbrush will clean the piece

this applies to all pieces except for those with fragile stones (such as opal) and pearls. please check whether your piece includes fragile stones or pearls and contact me for help (one@miyakumo.com) if your item includes these or if you are unsure

scrub and wash the piece with water until the item is no longer tarnished and shiny

make sure to dry the piece well after cleaning

 

overall practice

for the most part I recommend having breaks between wearing jewellery in general as anything will show signs of wear after prolonged use

for the most part jewellery pieces are easy to clean and get back to their original state should signs of wear occur