Everything here is solid 925 sterling silver. Most of it also carries a plated finish over that silver — gold, rose gold, black rhodium or rhodium. Plating is a surface. It wears. The silver underneath it does not.
That single fact decides most of what follows.
The short version
- Last thing on, first thing off. Perfume, hairspray and hand cream go on before the jewellery, not after.
- Take it off for swimming pools, hot tubs and cleaning. Chlorine attacks silver alloys and strips plating faster than anything else you will encounter.
- Wipe it with a dry, soft cloth after wearing. That is ninety per cent of the job.
- Store it dry, in its pouch, not loose in a dish with other pieces.
Never use a silver dip
Silver dip works by chemically stripping the surface. On a plain silver piece that is aggressive. On a plated piece it will take the plating with it, permanently, in seconds.
If a piece has darkened, use a dry silver polishing cloth on the plain silver areas only, gently, and stay off the plated areas entirely. Warm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft brush is safe on everything and is usually all that is needed.
Tarnish is not damage
Silver goes dark because it reacts with sulphur in ordinary air. It is a surface film, it is not corrosion, and it comes off. Pieces worn often tarnish least, because your skin keeps polishing them.
The blackened and black rhodium pieces are meant to be dark. Do not try to polish them back to white.
Stones, one at a time
- Opal holds real water inside it — several percent by weight. Keep it away from direct heat, dry heat and long soaks. No ultrasonic cleaner, no steam. It is also softer than quartz, so it will scratch if it is stored loose against harder stones.
- Moonstone splits cleanly along one plane, which means a sharp knock on the wrong edge can chip it. It is a stone to take off before the gym.
- Amethyst genuinely fades in sunlight — permanently, over years on a windowsill. Wear it anywhere. Do not store it in the light.
- Mystic quartz carries a titanium surface coating. It will thin at the contact points of a ring worn daily for years. That is what a coating does, and we would rather you knew at the start.
- Topaz, garnet, sapphire, agate, citrine, alexandrite are all hard enough for daily wear. Soap and water, dry cloth, done.
Adjustable and open bands
An open band is forgiving about fit, which is the point of it. It is not a hinge. Opening and closing it repeatedly will fatigue the silver over time — set it roughly where you want it and leave it there.
Re-plating
If a plated finish has worn through at the contact points after some years, any competent jeweller can re-plate it. The silver underneath is unchanged and the piece is not finished. Write to us and we will tell you what to ask for.
Sensitive skin
There is no nickel added to sterling silver by us. If you react to a piece, stop wearing it and get in touch — we would rather have the return than the discomfort.
Made after you order it, up to twenty days. Looked after, it outlasts that by a very long way.