Care & longevity

Made to be worn, made to last

Demi-fine rewards a little ritual. Solid silver and a hard stone are forgiving materials — and when sterling dims, it hasn’t worn out. A cloth brings it back.

The one rule, every metal

Last thing on, first thing off. Perfume, lotion and hairspray first — wait a minute — then the piece.

By material

Two materials, cared for properly

925 sterling silver

Sterling tarnishes; that’s normal, and it polishes back. A soft cloth after wear and a dry drawer between wearings keep it bright. The platinum finish over the silver is a plating, and every plating is finite — it goes first where the piece is handled most, not evenly all over, and any jeweller can redo it. Reach for a dry cloth rather than a silver polish: polish lifts the finish faster than it lifts the tarnish. The slow patina is the honest life of a real metal, not a flaw.

Lab-created moissanite

Hard — Mohs 9.25 — so it shrugs off the scratches of a normal day. What dulls it is film: lotion, hairspray, hand cream. Warm water, a drop of mild soap and a very soft brush bring the fire back. Take it off before anything that risks a hard knock, and glance at the setting now and then.

Tarnish, plainly

Silver darkens by reacting with the air — humidity, sulphur, chlorine, perfume and some skin chemistry all speed it up. Nothing has gone wrong and nothing is lost. It comes back with a polishing cloth. Storing pieces dry and closed away is what slows it down.

Never use

No ultrasonic cleaners, toothpaste, baking soda, vinegar, bleach, acetone or alcohol. They attack the silver and can dull a stone. A soft dry cloth is nearly always all a piece needs; when sterling has darkened, an occasional polishing cloth brings the shine back.

Storing it

Between wearings

Keep each piece dry and out of direct sun; a soft pouch or a lined drawer is ideal — closed storage is what keeps tarnish slow.
Store pieces apart so they don’t scratch one another; a moissanite stone is harder than the silver around it.
Take sterling off before showering, swimming, exercising or sleeping.
Put jewelry on last, after fragrance and lotion have fully dried.

Want the full material story behind the care? It’s all stated plainly — and our journal guide, how to care for moissanite and sterling silver, goes through the routine question by question.

The materials Find your size