Will my jewellery tarnish?
Metals will tarnish over time, so it's important to know that tarnishing will not damage your jewellery, and that this is a completely natural process.
Tarnishing happens when your jewellery is exposed to sulfur-containing gases in the air, cause the surfaces to darken. This can be removed by polishing your jewellery with a silver polishing cloth.
Whilst I personally believe that Sterling Silver and solid gold jewellery can be worn 24/7, here are some top tips to avoid excess tarnishing.
- When you're not wearing your jewellery, store in an air tight bag to reduce the contact with these sulfur-containing gases.
- Contact with harsh chemicals such as Cleaning products, Perfume and lotions etc. can accelerate tarnishing, you may need to clean you jewellery more often.
- Wearing in the Pool or in a Hot Tub can speed up the tarnishing process due to the chemicals used in the water.
- Chains can snag when you're exercising or sleeping, so take care.
But the best way to look after your silver jewellery is...to wear it! I honestly believe sterling silver jewellery is meant to be worn at all times, I personally never take off my jewellery and have had no issues. However everyone is unique and your own chemical make-up may not like silver as much as mine, so you may need to remove your jewellery from time to time if you notice situations that increase tarnishing.
How can I clean my jewellery?
If your jewellery does become a little tarnished, it's easy to re-polish! Use a lint free cloth, or a polishing cloth, to remove smudges, fingerprints and day-to-day tarnishing.
Each piece of precious metal jewellery purchased from Little Homebird Jewellery will receive a free sample of Town Talk's Silver Polishing Cloth. This soft cloth is impregnated with a Polishing compound that not only helps remove tarnish but will help protect against future tarnishing. You can use your polishing cloth on all metals, so you can use it on all your jewellery, but please do not use on any Plated items.
Every so often you may need to send your Jewellery in to the Jewellers for a deep clean, especially jewellery with stones.
Will the black lettering fade?
To darken any lettering, I use a safe non-toxic agent called Platinol. Over time this patina may fade or discolour with wear or if it comes into contact with household chemicals such as cleaning products, but I’m always happy to add this to your jewellery again, just get in touch!
However if you’d rather not have your stamping darkened, there is the option to have it plain.
Will your jewellery turn my skin green?
Sterling Silver is not known for turning your skin green like costume jewellery.
This reaction happens when the oils in your skin come into contact with Copper, and as all Sterling Silver can contain trace amounts of copper, a small percentage of people may notice a small reaction. This is extremely rare, and will only occur if you are overly sensitive to metals such as Copper.
I cannot be held responsible should this reaction occur, please consider this if you are aware of any sensitivities to metals before ordering. I do understand that sometimes, this cannot be predicted, so just get in touch to chat about it should this occur.
I have sensitive skin - can I wear your jewellery?
Silver is a very soft material and so, Sterling Silver contains 92.5% Silver (hence the .925 mark) and 7.5% alloy of other metals such as Copper and Zinc to create wearable jewellery. All Homebird jewellery is Nickel free. I cannot be held responsible for any reaction to any Homebird jewellery, please be aware of any sensitivities to any metals before ordering, and if you're unsure, Contact me.
Do you offer repair work?
All Homebird Jewellery is subject to a free 30 day repair warranty. If your treasured piece needs repairing during this time (30 days from delivery) I am happy to repair/rework your jewellery. After this time any damage is attributed to general wear and tear.
Please note that this jewellery repair service can only be offered if Homebird Jewellery care advice has been followed - I reserve the right to refuse a repair if the jewellery shows signs of excessive damage/manipulation from the wearer.
If this time has passed, or you need to send in a previously loved Homebird Jewellery piece for a little TLC, I'm happy to repair any breakages and give them a good polish for a small charge.
Please Contact me for availability, time scales and pricing.
Please note that at this time, I am unable to repair any jewellery that has not been created by Homebird Jewellery.
