Jewelry Care
Long Live Your Jewelry
Magpie Metals jewelry, though it is high quality, is not unbreakable! To keep your jewelry in tip-top shape, we recommend that you do not wear it in the shower, while you exercise, while you're sleeping, or store it in the bathroom/humid enviornment, though, we understand that these things happen! If something does happen to your Magpie Metals jewelry, you can find info about repairing broken pieces here. Below is detailed information and product recommendations for cleaning your tarnished jewelry.
We understand there are a lot of nuances in jewelry care, so feel free to reach out with any questions you might have.
We are also happy to polish your Magpie Metals pieces for you in the shop.
Jewelry Cleaning
14k Gold Fill
14k Gold Fill (GF) is much less likely to tarnish than the other metals below, however, with wear and exposure to oxygen, it can occasionally become dull. We often use these dry jewelry wipes.
Sterling Silver
Sterling is more want to tarnish than 14k GF. Depending on the piece, there are several ways to polish sterling. You can use the dry wipes referenced above, especially for a quick shine. We also frequently use fine grit steel wool, though it can scratch shiny pieces. For a gentler polish, we also use this silver paste, which when used with a small brush, can be adept a polishing pieces with hard to reach crevices. Silver dip is powerful enough to remove the nacre from pearls. We advise extreme caution (from experience) when polishing with a silver dip.
Oxidized Sterling Silver
Don't polish this! Oxidized sterling silver, which looks blackened, is essentially tarnished intentionally with "liver of sulfur," If you polished it, and wish for it to be oxidized again, bring it in to the shop, we can probably help!
Brass & Copper
Brass and copper, as is their nature, tarnish the easiest of the metals we use. It is the oxidization process that tarnishes these metals and leads to the signature greening of the skin. Though this is not harmful, it can be frustrating especially if you like your brass and copper to be shiny. You can use the dry wipes, steel wool (though again, not on some select pieces). You may also use household ketchup (it's so wild!). Spread a generous coat of ketchup on the piece, let it sit for 30 minutes and then wash away. You can also use a small brush to reach difficult or particularly tarnished spots. The MOST effective polisher of brass and copper that we have come across, however, is Bar Keepers Friend. We add a dash of water to the powder to make a paste, coat the jewelry, allow to sit for a minute, then rinse it off, often with the assistance of a small brush.
Pearls
Pearls are actually kind of delicate! It is especially advised to not sleep in your pearls, wear them in the shower or expose them to heavy amounts of lotions or perfumes. If you notice that your pearls seem dull, you can wipe them with a soft damp cloth.
NOTE: None of the products mentioned in this page are sponsored.