Jewelry Care

General Care

Many of the designs from Silver Lane Studio Jewelry are meant to be worn without much fuss.  Care and attention has gone into creating jewelry with integrity that can be worn regularly.  However, simple maintenance and care is vital to ensuring you can enjoy your jewelry over time.  Occasionally clean or polish your jewelry (more info on that below), protect your pieces when they are not being worn, handle your jewelry gently, and do not use force when putting your jewelry on or taking it off.

Brass & Sterling Silver

Both brass and sterling silver naturally tarnish over time and with exposure to the elements and human touch. Tarnishing creates a patina on these metals that many people appreciate. In order to preserve the original finish of your piece for as long as possible remove jewelry before showering or swimming and avoid storing your jewelry in a place with high humidity.  You receive a complimentary polishing pad with each purchase; this pad can be used to clean and polish your brass or sterling silver piece when it starts to tarnish.  Your piece can also be cleaned and polished by gently buffing with a general purpose jewelry polishing cloth.  Avoid using any harsh chemicals to clean your jewelry.

Jewelry With Stones

In nature stones can stand the test of time, however please treat your jewelry containing stones with care. Avoid exposing stone jewelry to extreme temperatures, and take care not to strike the stones in your jewelry against hard objects. Remove rings before hand-washing and other pieces before showering or swimming. Do not use any chemicals on the stones in your jewelry.

Oxidized Silver, Brass, or Copper

Some of my work is oxidized to accentuate texture or to add a patina.  After they've been oxidized I apply a natural protective wax to these pieces in order to preserve the patina for as long as possible.  Polishing oxidized sterling silver, brass, or copper will remove the patina that has been intentionally applied.  A good way to clean pieces that have been oxidized is with an old toothbrush, water, and a small amount of toothpaste.  Apply toothpaste to the toothbrush, wet your piece of jewelry with water, and gently scrub it.  Go slowly and be sure to rinse and dry your piece thoroughly.