Jewelry Care Guide

A lot of care and attention goes into each handcrafted design because we want you to have a long-term love fest and lots of wear from your Alysian jewelry! But like with any relationship, your jewelry will need some extra attention from time to time.

All metals will naturally take on a patina, or aged look, with normal wear. Alysian jewelry consists of raw brass, stainless steel and non-precious plated metal plated (unless otherwise noted) and these metals may oxidize and dull and darken or tarnish due to moisture, pollution, and oxygen in the air and your individual body chemistry. 

You can slow this down by limiting exposure to moisture and contact with oils and chemicals. Here are some steps you can take to help maintain the condition and improve the longevity and luster of your jewelry. 

When wearing:

A good rule of thumb: Put your jewelry on last — after showering and after doing your hair and after applying any moisturizer, sunscreen, fragrance or makeup. Tarnishing accelerates when jewelry is exposed to water and/or chemicals like hair products. Gemstones and cord components don’t love chemicals either!

Also, be mindful to take off your jewelry when swimming, exercising or doing any messy cooking/baking or moving heavy objects. As much as you love your Alysian, never sleep in your jewelry!

Try not to overly handle or manipulate your jewelry where there is wire. Pieces made with wire will inherently be somewhat malleable. Bending wire back forth will weaken the wire, which can ultimately cause breakage.

Avoid exposing your jewelry to water (hand washing, showering, swimming, etc.), perfumes, hair products, sunscreen, oils and lotions, chemicals or polishes and prolonged direct heat (sun bathing, blow dryer, etc.).

Please keep in mind that stones and crystals can be incredibly fragile and need to be handled and worn with care.

When storing:

Keep your jewelry separate from other jewelry to avoid tangling and to prevent pieces from scratching each other. Jewelry should be stored in your Alysian pouch or in a Ziploc bag. It’s best to keep raw brass pieces in an airtight container or bag, but be mindful not store pearl designs in plastic. (Pearls need to breathe!) And avoid storing your jewelry in humid or damp conditions. 

When cleaning:

Gold/Silver/Rhodium-plated jewelry: Plated metal surfaces (and semiprecious stones, too) can be gently wiped with a microfiber cloth or a damp cotton ball after wearing to remove excess oil it collects from everyday use.

Excessive polishing will rub the plating off your piece. Avoid traditional jewelry cleaning products and polishing cloths with rouge or they will remove the plating from your piece. These products are usually intended for fine jewelry and diamonds. Chemical cleaners should never be used on plated jewelry. 

If your piece is in need of even more TLC, you can dilute a couple of drops of mild dish soap in warm water. Dip your plated jewelry (careful to avoid wetting any semiprecious stones or pearls) into the soapy water. Remove your piece and rinse it under clean warm water. Then very gently dry it with a soft cloth.

Brass jewelry: “Raw” brass components (brass that has no plating or added finishes) will naturally oxidize over time and take on more of a vintage look but, if you prefer a shinier and brighter gold tone, brass can be easily brightened up by using a polishing cloth specific for brass. Alysian recommends Sunshine cloths in particular. Or try this hack for great results: Submerge brass (No stones!) into a dollop of ketchup and let your piece sit for up to 30 minutes before checking progress. If the brass still needs more time, let it sit in the paste for an additional 20 minutes. Then remove your jewelry and run it under warm water, making sure to rinse off all ketchup. Then make sure to buff completely dry.

Check out the Alysian Tin of TLC for our absolute favorite jewelry care essentials.

Please keep in mind that many Alysian pieces are mixed-medium designs and many designs consist of vintage components. Do take note of the specific materials listed in our product descriptions and contact us if you have further questions.