CARE AND REPAIR
FINE & CUSTOM-MADE JEWELLERY
Jewellery should be professionally cleaned and inspected once a year. Periodic inspections and maintenance of jewellery help to prevent costly repairs or replacements. Inspect your jewellery as you wear it by looking for loose or chipped stones, worn links, bent prongs or malfunctioning clasps.
If a problem is found, the piece should be brought in immediately for repair to
prevent more extensive damage or loss.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR ORA JEWELLERY
Over time, air pollutants, dust, perspiration, perfumes and other natural elements can cause jewellery and gemstones to appear dull. Below are some suggestions for keeping your pieces sparkly.
Some gemstones are more fragile than others. Generally speaking, you can prevent
many problems by not exposing gemstones to common elements such as:
- Chlorine
- Household Cleaning Chemicals
- Extreme Heat or Light
- Salt Water
BRASS JEWELLERY
Necklaces
All necklaces come with a 14ct gold plated brass chain, the chains are delicate by nature and need to be handled with care. Only clean them with a dry cotton ormicrofibre cloth.
Bangles
Brass is malleable, so our bangles with an opening can be squeezed and stretched slightly to fit your wrist comfortably.
All of our patterned bangles are hand engraved and no two will be exactly the same.
Stud & Hoop Earrings
Our brass studs and hoops have sterling silver ear pins and silicone earring backs.
Hook Earrings
Our brass hook earrings have 14ct gold plated brass hooks. The hooks need to be treated
with care and cleaned only with a dry cotton or microfibre cloth.
CLEANING BRASS JEWELLERY
We use Fine Italian Brass that is specifically created for jewellery and has a golden lustre. Brass is made from copper and zinc and like silver, can develop a natural patina over time, giving it a matte finish. If would like to restore the bright polished finish, you can easily do so by rubbing it with a dry soft tissue or microfibre cloth. If your jewellery piece comes into contact with water or is damp from sweat or other means it is also a good idea to wipe it down in the same way.
As high levels of sulphur in the body, some body lotions, sunscreen and sprays can
cause the brass to oxidise (gaining a blackish tinge) we recommend cleaning with
a very small dab of generic brass cleaner and rubbing firmly with a microfibre cloth.
CLEANING SILVER JEWELLERY
Sterling Silver tarnishes from air pollutants, air and common everyday items that contain sulphur, such as leather, rubber, chlorine and perspiration. As these substances cannot be eliminated, we recommended that Sterling Silver be routinely wiped down and rubbed with a soft cotton cloth. Wearing your sterling silver regularly can also help prevent tarnishing. To bring back the silver lustre, use a clean cotton cloth and mild dish detergent diluted in water. Apply the diluted dish detergent to the clean cotton cloth and rub the piece in one direction, avoid
using circular motions.
To remove heavier tarnish, wash your silver jewellery with warm water and mild soap. Only
use clean, nub-free cotton or flannel cloth, nothing else as the surface of silver is easily marked. We advise against silver polish or dip style cleaning solutions.
CLEANING GOLD AND PLATINUM JEWELLERY
To clean gold or platinum jewellery, dilute dishwashing liquid in a small bowl of warm
water and soak each piece for 3 - 5 mins. Using a clean cotton cloth, gently clean your jewellery piece. Rinse your jewellery well under warm running water and pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Be sure to dry your jewellery completely before wearing it again.
ORA Jewellery advises against using an ultrasonic cleaner, steamer or other “at home” jewellery cleaning chemicals (including bleach, ammonia, baking soda and aluminium foil) on gemstones. They should only be cleaned with diluted mild dish soap and warm water.
CLEANING JEWELLERY WITH CRYSTALLINE GEMSTONES
Crystalline gemstones, such as amethyst, blue topaz, citrine or peridot attract oils and
lotions causing them to appear dull. To clean, soak them in a bowl of water with a touch of gentle dish soap. A soft baby’s toothbrush may be used to scrub
around and behind the stone. After cleaning, thoroughly dry with a lint-free cloth. For diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, set in gold or platinum, you can
use a drop of ammonia in the rinse water. Ammonia tends to discolour organic gemstones and damages and dulls silver, so do not use it on these materials.
CLEANING JEWELLERY WITH ORGANIC, OPAQUE GEMSTONES
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner or chemicals (including bleach or ammonia) on organic
gems and opaque stones such as pearls, opals, coral, turquoise and lapis lazuli. They should only be wiped clean with a damp cloth. In addition, avoid contact with hairspray, lotions, and perfumes, which can be absorbed over time, causing discolouration.
Pearls require proper care to retain their beauty and lustre. They should be kept away
from perfumes, cosmetics, perspiration, chlorine, vinegar, ammonia and dirt. We
recommend you put them on last, after hair products and perfume. Pearls should
be removed before exercising to protect them from perspiration. After wearing,
gently wipe them with a slightly damp cloth. Wash pearls periodically with mild
soap (not detergent) and a soft cloth. Rinse pearls in clean water and wrap
them in a thin, damp cotton towel to dry.
To prevent scratches, pearls should be stored away from other objects in the storage pouch provided. However, do not store them in an airtight package such as a plastic bag. Opals and pearls require humidity. When storing them, make sure the environment is not too dry or they may crack.
We advise against using an ultrasonic cleaner, steamer or other “at home” jewellery cleaning chemicals (including bleach, ammonia, baking soda and aluminium foil) on gemstones.
STILL NEED HELP CLEANING YOUR JEWELLERY?
Contact us and we will be happy to assist you!
JEWELLERY REPAIRS
Jewellery is delicate by nature and general wear and tear can happen. If your ORA piece
needs repairing from general wear and tear, upon our inspection and determination, it will be our pleasure to repair your piece at no charge within
6 months of purchase. After this, there will be a repair fee, determined after
inspection of your ORA piece. Please note that you will be responsible for all couriers fees involved.
If you have lost or damaged a piece of your ORA Jewellery, please contact us and we will
try our best to help!