Safety Warnings, and Care & Maintenance


SAFETY FIRST!

Treat as glass, caution- do not put pendants in your mouth. Glass pieces could chip or break off, and it is a choking hazard. Patina or dark color added to edge should not be/ is hazardous if ingested. Do not put in mouth. 

 

KEEP IT LOOKING ITS BEST

To clean, use water and dish soap on the enamel. Do not scrub.

Do not clean the edges, or the dark color on the edge will wear off. Dry with a soft cloth. 

 

Polish (silver findings only) with a polishing

cloth, and/or dip chain only in silver cleaner. Do not put any cleaner on enamels!

 

FRAGILE! TREAT AS GLASS- Enamel is glass on metal. Glass may chip or break if dropped or mis-handled.

NEVER wear in salt water or chlorinated water as it will frost/wear away the glass- (think of sea-glass). 


Enamel- "What will happen if..." Questions and Answers

 

Question: Should I clean the entire piece of jewelry the same?

 

Answer: No. To clean the enamel, use water and dish soap and rub lightly with your fingers. To clean the silver findings, polish the silver chain, bail (ring) and earring wires with a polishing cloth (available at most jewelry stores and in our online shop). Do not clean the enamel with the polishing cloth or silver cleaner as it will take off the dark patina on the edge of the enamel. Do clean the silver regularly, when tarnished, (the tarnish is just trapped oil and dirt on the jewelry from wear) tarnish could rub off and leave black marks on you or clothing.

 

Question: What is the best way to store it?

 

Answer: Silver tarnishes over time and in sunlight, so store it in a box or pouch (with the anti-tarnish tag -black square in the package) when not in use, and renew it by cleaning it with a polishing cloth or you may dip the chain alone in a silver cleaner. Jewelry with 14K Yellow gold accents won't tarnish like silver does, and might be a good option for those who dislike maintenance. It is also best not to store by hanging the jewelry, as it is delicate and may break if it hits against other jewelry or surfaces. 

 

Question: What happens if I wear it in the ocean or pool? Can I wear it in the shower?

 

Answer: If it is exposed for long periods of time in either saltwater or chlorinated water it will harm the jewelry, frost the glass and take the dark patina off the edge of the enamel. Think of sea glass- it is formed over years of being tossed and tumbled in salt water, and just hours with saltwater in a tumbler. Your enamel will become frosted or cloudy, so its best not to wear in the ocean or pool. Wearing it in fresh water or the shower is fine, but is not suggested.

 

Question: What if the dark patina on the edge wears off?

 

Answer: Over time, especially if worn and touched often, the stain or patina may wear off. A lot of silver jewelry especially has black stain or patina on it for design, it is very common. It is used for the edge of the jewelry for style purposes. There are many ways of taking care of this. One option is to email me first, then send it to me and have it re-dipped in the patina and shipped back to you. Another is to take it to a local jeweler and have them dip the enamel in patina. Then polish the patina off of the bail (or ring) by rubbing it with a polishing cloth. This is something that can be done quickly within a matter of minutes and in house at most jewelers. You may also have them rub the edge with special jewelry

"Renaissance wax" to seal the patina and pro-long it from rubbing off. 

 

Question: Will it break if I drop it?

 

Answer: Yes, it may break or chip if it is dropped, especially on harder surfaces. It is of course, made of glass and therefore requires care to be taken. It is best to have someone help you put the jewelry on and hold the enamel for safety if you are worried about dropping it- as a friendly suggestion, you might anticipate that you may drop it while putting it on and do so over a soft surface such as a carpeted area, bed or your lap.

 

What else should I be aware of? 

It is a thin layer of glass over metal-- think of a lightbulb for example- try to avoid storing it in extreme temperatures, like leaving it in a very hot or freezing car. 

 

Refer to our Safety guidelines for a reminder to:

Treat as glass, caution- do not put pendants in your mouth. Glass pieces could chip or break off, and it is a choking hazard. Patina or dark color added to edge should not be/ is hazardous if ingested. Do not put in mouth. 

 

 

 


We want you to be happy, so please do not hesitate to contact the artist Cait at CaitMarchettiJewelry@gmail.com

 (with "Customer Question" as the subject) if you have any issues, questions or concerns about the jewelry.