Please look after me…

Some tips on how to care for your jewellery.

Maria Alicia jewellery is made to be loved for years to come but like many handmade items, you will need to care for your jewellery.
Cosmetics can tarnish, discolour and some can even corrode your jewellery. To reduce the chance of this happening please apply any cosmetics prior to wearing your jewellery.
Remove your jewellery before any physical exercise... such as working out, cleaning the house, swimming or gardening. This will reduce the possibility of damage and avoid perspiration tarnishing your jewellery.
Swimming pools, the sea and even natural springs can cause tarnishing. We also recommend removing your jewellery prior to showering or bathing.
We recommend removing jewellery before sleeping.

For pieces including resin extra care needs to be taken. As with all jewellery please remove before bathing and applying cosmetics - resin can be damaged if exposed to extreme temperatures.
Avoid exposure to the sun and extreme heat as the resin can become soft and damage easily.

Some gemstones are more susceptible to wear than others. Harder stones such as sapphires, diamonds and rubies will last longer than softer stones such as emeralds and agates for example. If you are unsure about the hardness of your stone please ask and we will advise.
Even hard stones like diamonds are not indestructible, handcrafted jewellery does need to be taken care of and care taken to avoid knocks and rubbing against abrasive objects.
Jewellery worn frequently such as engagement rings and wedding bands, your favourite necklace will inevitably need some maintenance such as stone settings needing re-tipping, shanks wearing down and replacing.
Accidents do happen and in the event of damage an assessment will be carried out to try and identify the cause, and we can provide a quote to repair/ replace where required.

Storage

Please store your jewellery separately to avoid damage by scratching or rubbing on each other – also it can be very frustrating detangling necklaces that have been stored together!
Any exposure to the air and environment can cause tarnish over time.
Jewellery is best stored in an air tight box such as a jewellery box.
Keep your jewellery away from damp conditions like bathrooms and kitchens.

Tarnishing

If your silver jewellery does become tarnished, most items can be brought back to sparkle with a little rub of a silver cloth. The little Town Talk Cloths are great for this (available in the shop -wash hands after use).
Gold doesn’t often tarnish like silver but if it’s looking a little dull, some warm soapy water and a clean unused soft toothbrush may be enough to bring it back to a shine.
If really tarnished, a local jeweller may offer a cleaning service or you are welcome to contact me and we can arrange a clean via post if you are not local.
For items with metal plating/ decoration, warm soapy water will remove light dirt but take care not to wear down the plating. Please avoid over cleaning plated jewellery if possible as the plating will wear over time.
For resin jewellery - a polishing cloth can be used around the resin taking care not to rub over the resin. Take care when using soapy water.