Jewellery Care

WHAT IS TARNISHING?

It's important to note that the process of 'tarnishing' is different from a pieces plate fading. Tarnishing occurs when the outer surface of jewellery turns black or green and is the result of imitation gold plating used over a poor quality base metal. Gold Folk jewellery is tarnish free but without appropriate care all gold jewellery (except solid gold) has the ability to lose it's plate overtime. By following the steps below you can ensure to keep your pieces safe for years to come.

18K Gold Plated 316L Stainless Steel

This composition is one of the most durable types of jewellery you can buy and requires very little maintenance. As good practice and to ensure your Gold Folk pieces last you a lifetime, we recommend;

  • Wash away any lingering residue from perfumes / lotions / sweat etc with a washcloth and warm soapy water - generic dish soap works just fine!

  • When not being worn store away from any jewellery that could scratch at the plating.

  • When unworn do not leave your jewellery in direct sunlight, as extreme heat exposure can affect plating overtime.

18K Gold Plated Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver based pieces are demi fine and more delicate than stainless steel jewellery. To keep your sterling silver pieces in tip top shape please follow the below guidance:

  • We advise removing your huggies and washing both the posts and your ear piercings weekly. Naturally occuring sulphur and dirt that builds up inside your piercings can affect the posts of the earrings. If you don't keep your ears and huggies clean, you may notice the posts (the part that goes through your piercing) begin to discolour. This is a result of the piece being in constant contact with sweat and dirt from within the body/piercing. Please note, this isn't visible from the outside and does not affect the hypoallergenic nature of the piece. Just a bit of an eyesore when you remove them. This applies to all gold plated sterling silver jewellery on the market - it's simply the nature of the composition.

  • Sterling Silver is a softer metal than stainless steel. As our huggies are small pieces, they are naturally a little more fiddly when removing and you may find overtime that they don't click shut as tightly as when first received. It's an easy fix! Using your thumb, push the tip of the post (the part that goes through your ear and latches to the back of the earring) up slightly so the post visibly moves upwards and stays there. Close again and your huggie will fasten securely again. If you pushed the post up too high, just nudge it back down again. It may take a little trial and error at first but is a super simple way to ensure all your huggies stay secure forever!

  • Constant contact with water & chemicals in shampoos etc will cause the plate to dullen overtime, we recommend removing these pieces when sleeping and showering if you intend these to last you a lifetime.

Please note, the longevity of this composition is incredibly individual as your bodies natural pH balance can also affect gold plating.

If you have any queries or require further information prior to purchase, please contact us here, we're here to help :)