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Caring for Your Jewelry


Here at Protea, we love to offer a variety of unique, high-quality jewelry pieces at reasonable prices! The truth is, all metal jewelry will tarnish and wear down over time—some faster than others. To minimize the look of wear on your Protea piece and ultimately extend its life, we’ve added a few tips and tricks below for caring and storing your new treasure.

Silver Jewelry

The rule of thumb when caring for all silver jewelry—including gold and rose gold-plated, is to prevent your piece from coming into contact with moisture and harsh chemicals altogether. This means we recommend you remove all your accessories while showering, swimming, cleaning, spritzing perfume, and applying lotion. If your piece happens to collect some moisture, we suggest removing and wiping them down with a jewelry cloth immediately. Once your skin is dry and clean, you may then re-adorn!

When cleaning your sterling silver pieces, remember to use a polishing cloth or a cleansing solution specifically made for jewelry. On the other hand, Gold and rose gold-plated accessories must be cleaned very gently with a dry, soft polishing cloth.

Quick note: All plated jewelry, regardless of where you buy from, will eventually wear down. So, depending on how often you wear your piece, you may need to get it re-plated every few years or so!

Stainless-Steel Jewelry

While the same rules above apply for caring for a stainless-steel piece (i.e. keeping them dry and away from harsh chemicals), we’ve added a few safe cleaning tips to prevent them from losing their luster!

  • Gentle soap and water is the simplest technique. Soak your stainless-steel jewelry in soap and water for a few minutes. With a soft cloth, gently rub the jewelry to remove any pollutants and grime.
  • Baking soda and water. With a thick paste of baking soda and water, take a gentle toothbrush and slowly clean your jewelry. Once you’ve finished, wipe off any excess with a lint cloth ensuring all moisture is removed.

Statement Jewelry and Other Non-Precious Metals

We absolutely love natural and ceramic stones for statement jewelry here on Protea! The biggest thing when caring for your accessories is to handle them gently. Additionally, avoid over-exposure to light and heat—as this can wreak havoc on the stone itself and the non-precious metal.

Storing

When you’re not out-and-about fashioning your stunning Protea jewelry, we suggest storing them in a safe, low-moisture, cool container—away from the harsh rays. If you’d like, there are anti-tarnish containers on the market you can purchase that are specifically made to facilitate the ideal environment for your jewelry, however it’s totally optional!