Caraway Beads
Original handmade jewellery
by
Klára Bradshaw
Everyday use and storage
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Avoid contact with chemicals such as hairsprays, perfumes, lotions and cleaning products, and any prolonged exposure to water/humidity.
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Regularly wipe and lightly polish your jewellery with a soft cloth and always clean it before storing it away for a longer time.
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Store your jewellery in a dry place, away from direct sunlight.
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For long storage use resealable bags with the air squeezed out - it will help prevent oxidation (tarnishing) of the metal parts.
Cleaning tips
Gently clean all metal and glass parts with warm water with a few drops of mild soap.
Please do not soak your jewellery if it contains other materials such as wood or painted/paper-mache parts.
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you can use a very soft toothbrush, a cotton bud or a microfibre cloth for gentle scrubbing
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for cleaning the hard-to-reach parts try a strong cotton thread and use it in a similar way as dental floss
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rinse well, pat dry thoroughly (you can use a hairdryer on the lowest/cool setting) and gently polish with a soft cloth
Copper, Brass and Bronze jewellery
I don't seal my jewellery - that means I don't add a layer of wax or lacquer to the surface to stop the natural oxidation process.
I have two reasons - first, some people's skin might react to such chemical treatment rather than copper. Second, any such surface protection is only temporary anyway. It will, sooner rather than later, wear off, in a patchy way, and would have to be completely stripped off and then re-applied. And none of that is an easy task given the type of intricate jewellery, with many tiny surfaces, that I am creating.
There's an easy solution however if you prefer your jewellery shiny:
unpatinated copper, brass, and bronze can be restored to their beautiful shine with the help of vinegar or lemon juice.
For a deeper clean/scrub use a paste made with salt and/or baking soda. Rinse well with water and pat dry thoroughly with a soft cloth or hairdryer on the lowest/cool setting.
For more detailed instructions please follow this link to wikiHow.
Skin discolouration
If the places where the copper, brass or bronze jewellery touches your skin get dicoloured, you can also use vinegar or lemon juice (or just soap and warm water) to wipe the skin clean again.
This discolouration mostly happens where the skin is in contact with the metal for long periods of time - for example under rings, tight-fitted bracelets (bangles) and ear wires - as there is hardly any airflow to prevent moisture/sweat from increasing and reacting with the metal.
Most of my jewellery, however, is formed from small interlocked parts that allow for movement (never touching one area of the skin for long) and therefore there is always sufficient airflow. If you keep your jewellery clean and tarnish-free following our simple steps, you will never have to worry about discolouration while wearing your jewellery.
Following these simple tips will help you ensure that you can enjoy your jewellery for many years