All jewellery needs to be treated with care. A brief rub with a jewellery polishing cloth before careful storage is easy to do and will help keep your jewellery looking its best.
Read on for more advice on how to clean and care for your Sheila Fleet designs.
How do I clean my jewellery?
If your jewellery has become dull and lost its sparkle, it's likely it has become tarnished. Tarnishing is the result of oxygen and other gases in the air combining with the surface of metal, eventually causing discolouration of jewellery. (Some people even experience the jewellery causing black marks on their fingers.) Thankfully it's easy to fix by following a few simple steps:
- Use a soft toothbrush with a little liquid soap and brush your jewellery well. The aim here is to remove any residue from oils, creams and perfumes.
- Place your jewellery into silver dip for a maximum of 5 seconds. (This can possibly be extended slightly for heavy tarnishing, but please always read and follow the instructions on your particular brand of silver dip. If in doubt, please contact us.)
- Rinse thoroughly in lukewarm water and dry with a soft towel.
- Buff polished areas lightly with a jewellery polishing cloth. (Areas with a matt finish should only be lightly wiped very occasionally, otherwise the matt effect will be lost.)
DO use silver dip with silver, gold, platinum, palladium and enamelled jewellery.
DO NOT use silver dip with oxidised silver (i.e. silver that has been purposefully given a darkened finish) or with emeralds, pearls, or opals.
Silver dip is available from most jewellers, some hardware stores and our shops. Please get in touch if you need help.
My jewellery still looks dull. What can I do?
If after thoroughly cleaning and dipping your jewellery, it still appears dull and tarnished, a refurbish at our workshop may be required. Please get in touch with us, or pop into one of our shops so we can advise.
How should I store my jewellery?
When not wearing your jewellery—and particularly for long periods of time—we always recommend storing it in a ziplock bag, wrapped in the anti-tarnish tissue paper provided with your jewellery. Expel as much air from the bag as possible to further reduce the risk of tarnishing.
Each item of jewellery should be stored separately to prevent items becoming scratched or tangled.
A special note about neckwires & chains
When storing jewellery with a neckwire or chain, we recommend removing the pendants and wrapping these separately. This will help avoid unnecessary stress on catches and links.
Flexible neckwires are not as robust as chains and need to be handled with care. Neckwires have a natural limit and bending them too far may result in permanent loss of shape. Store a neckwire in the Sheila Fleet pouch provided. This will ensure it stays flat and prevents the neckwire losing its shape.
It's always a good idea to check that catches on wires and chains are secure before wearing. Regularly give neckwires and chains a careful wipe with a jewellery cleaning cloth. This will help keep them clean and free of oils that can build up and lead to tarnishing.
Tips on how to wear your jewellery
Jewellery is the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off.
- Put on your jewellery last when getting ready as this will help minimise contact with perfumes, creams, hairspray, etc. It will also help avoid snagging on clothes.
- Minimise prolonged contact with water wherever possible, particularly jewellery with emeralds, pearls, or opals. Avoid wearing your jewellery when showering, when in the bath, and when swimming.
- When wearing one of our neckwires, take care to prevent any snagging of the wire. Although flexible, neckwires will permanently lose shape if bent too far.
- Remove your jewellery at the end of each day and don’t wear it to bed.
- Wipe your jewellery regularly with an anti-tarnish cloth, or any soft cloth, to help it stay clean and reduce the need to use silver dip.
