Your jewelry requires some basic care in order to prevent damage, in order to give you years of enjoyment and wear. Fractures and inclusions are a normal part of many stones, often adding interest and color. Some stones are soft, and some stones have both soft and hard parts. Avoid dropping your jewelry or subjecting it to force.

To clean your jewelry, use a gentle polishing  cloth, being careful not to snag delicate work. Commercial jewelry solvent-based cleaners can damage some stones and other materials such as pearl, and resin and paint that are used in some products. Do not leave jewelry exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods. Do not soak jewelry.

Store silver jewelry in a sealed plastic bag to prevent tarnish. I enclose a small piece of tarnish paper or plastic in the bag. I have tarnish strips available for sale on my site. Because sterling silver is a alloy of different metals including copper, it will tarnish over time. Even fine silver and gold fill can become dull from body oils and skincare products.

A word about ammolite: it is a very fragile stone and needs to be handled carefully. Do not expose the doublet stones to heat or light. Heat can damage the bond between the stone and the cap. Do not submerge in liquid.

Do not expose your jewelry to hair spray, perfumes, make-up, lotions or cleaning solutions. Put your jewelry on after using these, not before. Soft stones, especially, such as turquoise and pearls can absorb chemicals and become damaged or discolored.

Store your jewelry separately from other pieces to avoid snagging the wire work. Avoid dropping your jewelry or subjecting it to force. This can break some stones or bend wires. Fine silver is more brittle than sterling silver. Fine silver pieces will not bend. Some pieces, such as coated natural leaves can be fragile, please handle with care. I have to admit that I have dropped pieces without any damage or problem, but do be careful! Jewelry subjected to any of the above cannot be returned.