taking care of your jewelry
Store your jewelry either in the package it came with or in fabric lined jewelry cases with dividers. This prevents your pieces from scratching each other and makes them live longer.
No matter the finish your piece needs a little bit more of love and care, try not to shower, sleep or wash dishes with it. Remember your pieces were made by an independent artist not a machine and are more delicate and special.
Metals will naturally develop a tarnish with time & exposure to oxygen, but don´t worry it can be fixed :)
• if your piece has a polished or satin finish you can dip it into a liquid cleaner or use a polishing cloth. Use silver, gold or brass metal cleaner accordingly. Another safe way to clean it is with a soft brush and soapy water.
• if it has a special finish (black or white patina, gold-plated finish or other) it may wear from the edges in time. this is totally normal and gives a unique character and depth to the piece. no cleaning is needed ever. however if you want to restore your piece to its original condition i can provide that service and also your local jeweler can do it.
• when we receive your piece we will repair it as soon as possible, this may take 4 to 6 weeks.
• if it has any non metal materials, you can use a polishing cloth for the metal part but it´s best if any cleaning agent is avoided whatsoever. everyday exposure to creams, skin oils, hairspray, household chemicals and other substances can cause buildup that will dull your stones or minerals brilliance and sparkle. when your piece has paper, plastic or fabrics it may also damage them.
what materials are la .objeteria jewelry pieces made of?
I use several different precious metals – including, but not limited to:
• 14kt rose gold plating | color pink.
• 24kt yellow gold plating | color deep yellow.
• 925 silver | sterling silver | shiny or matte finish.
• 925 silver | sterling silver | white or oxidized black.
• 999 silver | sterling silver | shiny color silver or matte color silver.
• 999 silver | sterling silver | white or oxidized black.
And sometimes other non precious materials that are just amazing like:
• LEGO ® blocks
• Paper
• Fabrics
• Plastics
what about finishes?
Well, to keep things interesting I vary my finishes according to the design. At la .objetería you can normally find the following:
• Shiny / Polished: Makes the metal sparkle and reflect your happiness.
• Matte / Brushed: Makes the metal smooth and hassle free because scratching due to normal wear will be harder to notice, also this style is effortless cool. It won´t shine that much if you like to keep it simple.
• Black oxidized*: The silver object is cleaned, then brushed or dipped in to a sulfur solution. After a few minutes, it can be rinsed in hot water. The result is a black patina on the silver. To seal this patina beeswax or laquer is used.
• White oxidized*: The silver object is cleaned, then brushed or dipped in to acid solution. After a few minutes, it can be rinsed in cold water. The result is a White patina on the silver. To seal this patina beeswax or laquer is used.
• Goldplated: Thru a galvanic treatment the metal surface is covered with gold. The longer the silver is exposed to this treatment the thicker the goldplate will be and the longer the life of the piece being gold will be.
• vermeil: thru a galvanic treatment the sterling silver surface is covered with gold.
* Oxidation is a surface treatment that can be buffed off. The patina will slowly fade if a piece of jewelry is worn a lot. This in most cases is a good thing because the piece gets more depth and for those of you that really don't like it there is a bright side! Most metalsmiths can oxidize your jewelry for you within minutes. This is also the same scenario for goldplating, since it is a superficial finish time and use will determine when will a touch up will be necessary. The good news is that most of your local jewelers can help you with this.