Jewellery Care

Lilygriffin jewellery is dainty and delicate, so care must be taken when wearing and storing it.  

Please do not wear while exercising, swimming, gardening, showering, cleaning or sleeping.  Store in a soft protective pouch or box out of direct sunlight and away from moisture, excessive heat or cold.  Please do not store in the bathroom.  Avoid contact with household chemicals, perfumes, creams, and hairspray/gels.

I would be delighted if you wanted to wear my jewellery everyday, but please be aware that you will be able to enjoy your handpainted and 24k gold embellished pieces longer if they are not worn on a day to day basis.

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CLEANING TIPS

Sterling silver is typically made up of 92.5% silver, plus a primarily copper composite of 7.5%, making it susceptible to tarnish.  When copper is exposed to oxygen, salt and moisture, it can cause darkening and discolouration.  Tarnish can also be caused by heat, sulphur, light, perfumes and body chemistry. 

HANDPAINTED STERLING PIECES

Porcelain paint is used to add colour to some of my pieces.  The paint is heat fired, so is scratch and water resistant, however, care must be taken not to knock, scratch or soak.   

Tarnish can be removed with a polishing cloth (avoid the painted areas), or with a very quick dip in Hagerty Silver Clean **Please do not leave the handpainted items in this mixture for any longer than 10 seconds. Handpainted pieces must be rinsed and thoroughly dried after dipping**

GOLD ACCENTED STERLING PIECES

The layers of 24k gold I use to accent my jewellery are soft, so can be scratched; the gold will also wear and diffuse into the sterling silver layer underneath over time as I do not use any Nickel barrier in my jewellery.  Nickel can be a health hazard, and is a known allergen to some people. 

GOLD FILLED PIECES

Gold fill is (usually) a solid 14k thick layer of gold bonded on to a jeweller's brass core under pressure.  The layer is thicker than gold plating, but can be thinned out during forging (hammering). 14k gold is more durable than 24k gold, as it is a composite of pure gold and other materials, but may still scratch or abrade.

All Gold or gold accented Lilygriffin items should ONLY be cleaned with soap and water, or Hagerty Jewel Clean (in the gold box).  Usually 30 seconds is enough!  Dry your jewellery thoroughly.