Proper care and storage is a must to keep your jewelry looking just as good as the day you bought it. Though environmental changes cause some metals to tarnish or patina over time.

Sterling silver is one such case, the copper in sterling silver will cause a black patina called “tarnish” to appear over time. The best ways to prevent this are:

• wearing your jewelry often

• storing in airtight plastic baggies when not wearing

• Apply products such as perfume, lotion, or sunscreen and let them dry before creating your jewelry stacks.

• Take your jewelry off before you go to sleep

When you need to clean your sterling:

• use a mild soap and brush to clean and towel dry making sure to dry the piece thoroughly

• use a silver polishing cloth to wipe away tarnish.

Hairwork care

Hairwork is exceptionally resilient, as seen in many examples of hair jewelry from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, though it is not infallible. Hairwork will receive wear and tear with every use when set in unprotective settings. Therefore, the best thing to do with hairwork is to treat it with extreme care. Treat hairwork with the same care you might treat extremely soft stones, like opals.

Removing your hairwork jewelry before sleeping, washing your hands, showering, bathing, swimming, or doing any heavy activities like gardening, exercising, etc, is non-negotiable. It should never come into contact with water, oils, or lotions, as this can cause the hair strands to expand and contract, leading to breakage, which can be quite itchy on the skin.

If you find any broken strands in your hairwork, snip them off as close to the braid as possible. I’ll use embroidery scissors or nail clippers to be extra precise when trimming my personal hairwork pieces.

If youre unsure the best way to clean a piece, feel free to reach out and we can formulate a cleaning plan for your specific piece.