Care of your jewelry

We want your jewelry to be worn and loved for many years to come. With that being said, jewelry is fragile and, if not properly cared for, can wear away over time. So, here are some helpful tips for keeping your Laurel & Co. pieces clean and wearable!

Metals

Sterling Silver

At Laurel & Co. we use sterling silver in most of our ring designs and stone-set pieces. Sterling silver is made up of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. This means your sterling silver pieces will oxidize over time, resulting in a darkened, antique look, mostly in crevasses and where the metal is textured. A polishing cloth will polish your silver pieces back to their original shine, but you might quite like how your piece looks as it oxidizes over time.

copper & brass

We use copper and brass in most of our Essential Collection designs - some are polished, while others are treated with acid to produce a green patina. To prolong the life of the patina and clean brass and copper, we advise you avoid exposing your jewelry to water, liquids, lotions, perfumes, etc. These can tarnish the jewelry and wear at it over time.

When you plan to wear your Essential pieces, put on all perfumes wash your face, put on lotions etc. PRIOR to putting on your earrings, rings, bracelets, etc. When you are done wearing your jewelry, place it in your Laurel & Co. muslin bag for storage, preferably out of the bathroom to avoid humidity. To polish your pieces, you can use a polishing cloth or extra fine steel wool if you want to restore the original shine where the green patina does not lay.

stones

Our pieces with stones set are more fragile than those that are only metal. We recommend taking extra care with these pieces. If traveling, we recommend putting your rings or other pieces with stones in a cloth bag, such as your Laurel & Co. muslin bag, to protect the stone from cracking or scratching.

As with all our jewelry, avoid exposing your pieces to water, liquids, lotions, perfumes, etc. To clean a stone-set piece, use warm water and fragrance free dish soap with a soft bristle tooth brush - this will help to clean away grime from the setting, but will be gentle enough on the metal and stone. Rinse clean and dry with a microfiber cloth immediately after.

It is important to be gentle with all pieces and treat them with love and care. You may find that you like the look of your piece even more as it tarnishes over time!