SONIA THERESE DESIGN

SILVER, COPPER, BRASS

It is important to understand that all of these metals will tarnish.

Tarnishing is a natural process for these metals, and happens when the raw metal is exposed to oxygen, to oils from your skin or hair, or when exposed to some chemicals (for example, hand sanitiser!!)

The best way to clean and care for your silver, copper or brass is to gently wash it in soap and water. For example, wearing your jewellery in the shower with you (providing you don’t use heavily perfumed or died soaps, shampoos or conditioners, or even essential oils).

If you jewellery becomes heavily tarnished (after exposure to chemicals or natural sulphur spa pools etc), a simple and effective way to clean it is to soak it in a mixture of lemon juice and table salt for about 5 minutes, then rinse and gently wash with soap or toothpaste. Dry it and gently polish it with a soft cloth and store in an airtight container.

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YELLOW, ROSE & WHITE GOLD

Largely speaking, you can care for and clean your gold pieces of jewellery the same way as your silver and other metals. It is worth noting that your gold won’t tarnish to quite the same extent as other metals, but it will dull over time.

A note here about white gold. The white gold I use in my designs is notably more “grey” than you may be used to seeing at main-stream jewellery stores. This is because it is NOT coated in rhodium which makes it more “white”. The reason I choose not to use rhodium plating is that it wears off over time and needs to be reinstated, which for some pieces of jewellery, is not possible. It is also yet another chemical process that I choose to avoid in my business.

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RESIN & WOOD

Your resin piece might look like glass, but it won’t take the same punishment as glass. Here are some simple tips and tricks to keep your beautiful resin and wood pieces in tio-top condition!

• Do not leave them in direct sunlight
• Do not leave them on an uneven surface in the heat (they may warp)
• Do not expose them to abrasives or chemicals
• Don’t immerse in water for long periods of time (the wood may swell up and affect the resin – short term water exposure is OK, even the shower should be fine).
• Give them a gentle wash with soap and water to remove oils and grease from your hair and skin regularly.

It’s important to note that your resin pieces are coloured with eco-inks, which are bio-based organic pigments. If you expose your resin to sunlight (ie, leave it on a windowsill or car dash etc) for extended periods of time, you may find the colour fade or even change hue. Please treat them like a puppy – don’t leave them in a hot car!!!!