CARE

We want you to enjoy your piece of jewelry for as long as possible.
If you're ready to protect and care for your new piece, there's a lot you can do to keep it in good condition.

Our pieces of jewelry are predominantly hard gold-plated with a stainless steel core or made of gold-plated 925 sterling silver. Basically, it helps to be aware that all pieces of jewelry are exposed to the harsh impacts of everyday life. Protect them by avoiding extreme temperatures, constant impact, scratches and harsh chemicals to minimize damage and wear. One should always be careful when wearing delicate materials and gold-plated jewelry. Everyday use can leave its mark, but with proper care your jewelry will last a lifetime.

Wear it often: Believe it or not, your skin's natural oils help keep silver jewelry in particular shiny. One of the easiest ways to prevent tarnishing is to wear your jewelry often instead of leaving it unworn in a jewelry box.

Don't put on your jewelry until after applying makeup, perfume, and hairspray. Handle the gemstones and pearls as little as possible, as skin oil can build up over time and dull their appearance. Remove your jewelry before bathing, showering, or cleaning.
Remove jewelry when doing physical work, especially housework, to avoid damaging it. Stones can splinter or break if struck against a hard surface. Harsh solvents used in cleaning can damage all types of jewelry and especially pearls.
Never wear pearl earrings or necklaces when getting your hair dyed. Some paints contain alcohol and other chemicals that can take away the shine from the pearls.
Try to avoid wearing your jewelry in pools and spas - chlorinated water can react with metals, causing color changes and even structural damage.
Contact sports and jewelry are a no-go - hard hits during sports can damage jewelry, not to mention the people involved.

metals

Parts with hard gold plating and stainless steel cores are tarnish-resistant but can get dirty. If your 925 sterling silver jewelry appears dark or dirty, it is tarnished. Tarnishing is simply the result of a chemical reaction with oxygen or sulfur particles in the air.

In both cases, polish your piece with a jewelry polishing cloth for smooth surfaces. Do not use tissues or paper towels as the fibers in these products can cause scratches.
You can use alcohol to dissolve dirt. However, do not use alcohol on pearl jewelry. Soap, warm water, and a soft brush are sufficient for most of your cleaning needs. Make sure the brush is very soft if you use it on metal. After cleaning, dry and polish your jewelry with a soft cloth.

Cleaning your jewelry regularly can keep it looking great, but be careful when doing so. There are special products for jewelry that work wonders, but bleach can literally destroy jewelry, so you should definitely avoid them.

IMPORTANT: 925 sterling silver jewelry, 14-18k gold plated

Be sure to protect your gold-plated sterling silver pieces. This precious metal provides the most beautiful gold tone when combined, but requires much more awareness and sensitivity. Due to the property of silver to be a noble but also very soft material, the gold plating lies slightly on top no matter how thick it is and is gradually removed. The less abrasion, the longer the gold plating lasts. Accordingly, avoid the cleaning and polishing mentioned above. To preserve the fine coating for as long as possible, try not to put your jewelry in constant contact with water. Ideally, you take it off before showering or swimming. The better you look after it, the longer it will stay beautiful.

Pearls

Chemicals such as perfume, vinegar and lemon juice easily attack pearls and should not come into contact with them. Heat can turn pearls brown, dry air can damage pearls. After wearing, wipe the beads with a soft cloth or chamois, which can be dry or damp. This prevents dirt from accumulating and sweat, which is slightly acidic, from attacking the mother of pearl and natural pearls.

Ultrasonic cleaner

Stay away from ultrasonic cleaners because they use sound waves to clean jewelry. These vibrations shake off dirt, but they can also cause serious damage.

It is best to store your jewelry in a dry, light-protected place, away from sunlight. Keep the pieces from moving, especially when traveling. A padded box or a microfiber bag are ideal for this. Your jewelry shouldn't stay in the bathroom or on the window sill - not for too long. Do not store your jewelry in leather as this can tarnish gold and especially silver. Sometimes jewelry tarnishes when not worn. To maintain the shine of your jewelry, you can also place a silver anti-tarnish strip in your storage container to absorb the oxidizers that discolor and tarnish the jewelry.

If a piece of jewelry needs to be repaired, you can either take it to a trusted jeweler or contact us. Please send us a photo of the damaged piece of jewelry with a short explanation by email to info@julia kubitza.com We can then give you information about the extent to which a repair is possible and under what conditions.