Care and Repair

 

ORA Jewellery is extremely well crafted however caring for your piece is fundamental to the longevity and lustre of your jewellery piece. Air pollutants, dust, perspiration, perfumes and other natural elements can dull the appearance of gemstones or precious metals. Because of this, it is always good practice to wipe down your jewellery with a cotton cloth after wear.

  

Fine & Custom-Made Jewellery

Jewellery should be professionally cleaned and inspected once a year. Periodic inspection 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
  • Saltwater

 

Brass Jewellery

Necklaces

All necklaces come with a 14ct gold plated brass chain, the chains are delicate by nature and needed to be handled with care and cleaned only with a dry cotton or microfibre 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 and Hoop Earrings

Our brass studs and hoops have sterling silver ear pins and silicone earring backs.

Hook Earrings
Our brass hook earrings have gold plated silver ear hooks. The hooks needed 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 and natural patina will develop over time giving it a matte finish. If would like to restore the highly bright, polished finish you can easily do so. Dry soft tissue or a microfibre cloth if your Jewellery piece comes in contact with water or is damp from sweat or other means. High levels of sulphur in the body and some body lotions, sunscreen and sprays can cause the brass to oxidise (gain a blackish tinge).
Rub your Brass Jewellery with a very small dab of generic brass cleaner and rub firmly with a microfibre cloth.

 

Cleaning Silver Jewellery

Sterling silver tarnishes from common everyday items that contain sulfur, such as leather, rubber, chlorine, and perspiration. Other elements to be conscious of are air pollutants and water. As these substances cannot be eliminated, we recommended that sterling silver be routinely wiped down with polishing or soft cotton cloth. Wearing your sterling silver regularly can also help prevent tarnishing. 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 by nature is delicate 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 charged to the customer. This amount will be determined after inspection of your ORA piece.

Please note 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!