Caring for your jewellery
The majority of our jewellery is made from Sterling Silver. Some pieces feature solid gold or rose gold elements and some pieces are partially gold plated or gold vermeil (gold plated silver with a minimum 3 microns of gold). Occasionally, Narratorium jewellery features other materials such as Cubic Zirconia, vintage gemstones, fresh water pearls, leather cord, nylon cord and gold or silver plated base metals.
The materials used in each piece will always be clearly stated in the products description, so please refer to this to find out what your piece is made from and then use this page to guide you on how best to care for your piece. But if you are unsure then please just get in touch.
STERLING SILVER
Sterling Silver is quite a soft metal so can scratch easily and it will eventually tarnish (when the surface oxidises/goes black). See below for how to clean.
Mother of Pearl
Avoid spraying pearl/mother of pearl with perfume or exposing it to other chemicals such as chlorine. Clean at the end of each day with a soft cloth.
Gold
Gold in its pure form does not tarnish. However, as it’s mixed with other alloys yellow or rose gold may eventually tarnish but not as quickly as silver.
Fabric
Any fabric cord such as nylon or cotton cord will hold its colour and quality for longer if it’s kept out of the water and away from chemicals or perfumes.
Gold plate
Gold plated silver/base metal (such as brass or bronze) will fade and wear off eventually, but you can prolong the life of your piece by following some simple rules! See here for more info.
Leather
Avoid wearing leather cord in the shower, bath, hot tub or swimming pool to prevent it from cracking and to keep it in great condition.
Wearing your jewellery
Whatever your jewellery is made from, its best to try to avoid spraying perfume on or around your piece or wearing your jewellery whilst swimming or exercising. It’s also a good idea to take off your jewellery at night time and store it somewhere safe.
Storing your jewellery
To avoid tarnishing or distorting your jewellery whilst its not being worn, please store your piece in a cool, dark place, either in its original packaging or in a small zip lock bag, acid free tissue paper, fabric pouch or box and on its own to keep it looking its best.
Cleaning your jewellery
To clean your Sterling Silver jewellery use a silver cleaning cloth or silver cleaning fluid with a cloth to remove any dark, tarnished areas and polish your piece. Once you have done this, use a bowl of warm water with a drop of washing up liquid and a tooth brush to give your piece a final clean and remove any remnants of silver polish. This should make your piece really sparkle again!
Gold will be slower to tarnish but if it does it can also be cleaned in soapy warm water with a tooth brush to remove and dirt or tarnish. You can also use an ultrasonic cleaner to remove stubborn dirt caught underneath stone settings.
For any gold vermeil (gold plated silver) or part gold vermeil and silver pieces, if your piece has tarnished slightly, you can also use a bowl of warm water with a drop of washing up liquid and a tooth brush to give your piece a clean. Once you’ve finished make sure you rinse your piece in water and dry well with a cloth or kitchen towel. This is only recommended once in a while.