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Handmade Jewellery Care
Handcrafted jewellery is very delicate. Please handle it with care.
• Store handmade jewellery in small plastic bags to prevent the metal parts from tarnishing. Also, this will prevent it from becoming tangled in other pieces of jewellery, which could possibly cause beads and any exposed threads to weaken or break.
• Keep the jewels away from water, chemicals, perfume, makeup, shampoo, and soap to prevent the metal plating from fading. Do not wear bead-woven jewellery in the shower or when swimming and avoid getting it wet. This can weaken and damage the thread and the beads. Don’t wear it to bed.
• Take care to avoid tossing your jewellery or dropping it onto hard surfaces to prevent any gemstones or crystals from chipping.
• Gemstone jewellery or beaded jewellery should not be placed in the direct sun, as some finishes may fade and lose their colour.
• Store handmade gemstone jewellery away from other items (diamond jewellery, for example). If harder stones encounter softer stones, they may cause scratches and marks.
• Every piece of jewellery is usually made of a lot of different beads, semi-precious stones, rhinestones, freshwater pearls, corals, metal embellishments, etc. For that reason, there is no “universal cleaner” that can be used safely.
• Large crystals or glass beads can be polished with jewellery polishing cloth or jewellery wipes.
• For gemstone bead-embroidered and soutache jewellery, I recommend using a small dry paintbrush with flexible bristles and a damp cloth to wipe the dust from the face of the piece.
• To remove tarnishing from all metal parts I recommend using the CONNOISSEURS Dry Disposable Jewelry Wipes. If the metal part of the jewellery is already tarnished, use these wipes or a polishing cloth to bring the shine back.
Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver, and it is too soft for practical, everyday use. That's why silver is often mixed with other metals to create a more durable alloy known as sterling silver.
Sterling silver is made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper or zinc. Sterling silver jewellery has a "925" mark. While copper gives sterling silver a desired level of hardness, it also imparts the tarnishing characteristic. Sterling silver can tarnish or blacken, due to a chemical reaction with the pollutants in the air. Tarnishing can be removed with jewellery wipes or polishing wipes.
Gold-filled metal is not an alloy, it is a layered material mechanically built in two or three layers using heat and pressure.
The gold layer in gold-filled jewelry must be at least 5% or 1/20th of the total weight of the item. Sterling silver, zinc, copper, or brass are usually used as a base layer for gold-filled.
The gold used is typically 14 karats. Karats refer to the proportion of actual gold in a metal alloy. It’s measured out of 24, so 14k gold is 14 parts gold and 8 parts of the base metal. Gold-filled jewelry is tarnish-resistant, more durable than gold, safe for sensitive skin, won't rub off, and will last years.
Gold-plate or silver-plate jewellery is made with an electroplating process to cover the base metal with a layer of gold or silver. Gold is usually used in 12K. The item considered as a gold-plated should be covered with a minimum of 0.5 microns of gold.
That kind of jewellery can be rubbed off over time.
Handmade Handbags Care
• Handle the handcrafted bag with care and store it properly in a breathable fabric duster bag (or even a clean pillowcase) to protect it from dust, control moisture, and prevent bead embroidery from damage.
• If you are not planning to use your handmade purse for a long time, fill it with white tissue paper. Do not use coloured tissue paper, coloured plastic bags, or newspapers to prevent ink from transferring.
• To store your purse find a dark and dry area for storing it. Avoid cold and wet attics and basements.
• To prevent dye transfer, do not store a handbag touching other items (e.g. clothes, jeans, coloured leather accessories, etc.).
• Try to keep the handmade handbag, especially the embroidered part, away from the heat, humidity, chemicals, perfume, makeup, shampoo, and soap. This can weaken and damage the threads, gemstones, and beads.
• Avoid dropping it onto hard surfaces to prevent gemstones or crystals from chipping.
• Bead embroidered gemstones should not be placed in the direct sun, as some finishes may fade and lose their colour.
• To clean the bead-embroidered and gemstone part of the handbag I recommend using a small dry paintbrush with flexible bristles and a damp cloth to wipe dust from the face of the piece.
• Large crystals or glass beads can be polished with jewelry polishing cloth or jewelry wipes.
• To remove tarnishing from the bag's metal hardware I recommend using CONNOISSEURS Dry Disposable Jewelry Wipes. If it is already tarnished, use these wipes or a polishing cloth to bring a shine back.
LEATHER HANDBAGS
• Never apply Vaseline to your handmade leather purse. It will shine for a while and then start destroying the finish and collecting dust.
• Small scratches can be removed by rubbing them gently with your finger. The natural oils on your hands will work nicely into the leather.
• In the event your handbag gets soiled other than with permanent dyes, try gently dabbing the leather with a clean, dry cloth and wipe with leather conditioner. Please avoid putting a leather conditioner onto the bead embroidered part of the purse.
FABRIC HANDBAGS
• To care for your handmade fabric handbag, simply wipe the fabric with a clean soft, damp cloth to remove surface dirt.
• If the soil remains, dip a clean white cloth into the soapy solution (in one cup of water add one drop of dishwashing detergent) and keep wiping the stain. To remove more stubborn stains, scrub the surface with a toothbrush dipped in the soapy solution.
• Please avoid ink marks, grease, permanent dyes from dark denim, and oil stains, as they are not removable and should be left alone.
Epoxy Resin Products Care
• Keep away epoxy resin accessories from direct sunlight and extreme heat. The maximum temperature that cured resin can be exposed to 120° F (+50° C).
• Avoid contact with the item with harsh chemicals, oils or rubbing alcohol.
• Do not put epoxy products in a microwave oven.
• Avoid scratching the surface of epoxy resin decoration with sharp objects.
• Do not soak or submerge epoxy resin accessories underwater.
• Epoxy resin products are not dishwater safe.
• If your epoxy resin accessories become dusty and dirty wipe them with a clean non-abrasive damp cloth, then wipe with a dry cloth.
• Please do not use any chemicals or alcohol-based cleaners.
• Do not submerge or soak epoxy resin items in water.
• Do not put epoxy resin accessories in the dishwasher.
Beaded Trees & Flowers Care
• There are many types of finishes for beads and gemstones, and some may fade over time when exposed to direct sunlight.
• Keep your handmade flowers and trees indoors in a dry environment. When exposed to excessive moisture, heat, frost, and chemicals, their integrity is compromised, and they will have a much shorter life.
• While these wired trees and flowers are durable, they are not indestructible, and they are made from small pieces. It is best to keep them out of the reach of small children and pets.
• If the flowers are knocked over and become misshapen or bent, their wire parts can be carefully remoulded back into shape.
• Avoid overworking the wires by repeatedly bending back and forth. This will cause the wires to become brittle and break.
If your beaded flower or tree accumulated dust or became dirty:
• First, try using a small dry paintbrush with flexible bristles or a damp cloth to remove the dust.
• If that doesn't work, use a small amount of water on a soft cloth to rub out the grime. Some beads may become discoloured if chemical cleaners are used.
• Avoid getting your flower stems wet, as this may damage the floral tape and wires will rust.
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