Jewellery Care Guide

Jewellery is not indestructible. Every material has its own characteristics, and understanding them is the most useful thing we can offer you. This page covers everything you need to know to get the most from your Bowerbird pieces, how to wear them, clean them, store them, and care for them according to the material they are made from.

If you want to go deeper on what your piece is actually made from and what to expect from it over time, visit our Our Metals page.

Before Putting On Your Jewellery

The order you get ready matters more than most people realise. The single most effective thing you can do to extend the life of any piece is to put your jewellery on last.

Skincare, sunscreen, moisturiser, and perfume should all go on before your jewellery, not after. These products contain ingredients that build up on metal surfaces over time, dulling the finish gradually. The damage is cumulative. One application will not cause a visible change, but the buildup over weeks and months will.

A few specific things worth knowing:

Perfume should be sprayed on your skin or clothes, not on or near your pieces. The alcohol in fragrance is particularly harsh on surface finishes and will accelerate wear.

Fake tan and self-tanning products can be quite damaging to metal surfaces and may cause permanent discolouration. Always let fake tan dry and absorb completely before wearing any jewellery.

Sunscreen takes longer to absorb than most people allow for. Give it at least five minutes before putting anything on.

The rule is simple. Skincare first, jewellery last.

During Wear

Water

Whether your pieces can handle water depends entirely on the material they are made from. This is why we never use the word waterproof.

When people ask if jewellery is waterproof, they are usually asking whether they can wear it in water all the time and expect the finish to stay exactly the same. For most jewellery materials, the honest answer is no. Surface coatings, plated finishes, and layered constructions are all affected by regular water exposure over time. The right question is not whether a piece is waterproof, but how water-tolerant it is and how much care it needs.

As a general principle, remove plated, vermeil, and gold filled pieces before swimming, showering, or bathing. PVD stainless steel is the most water-tolerant finish in our range and handles brief water exposure well with normal care. Solid sterling silver handles water better than plated finishes, but chlorine, spa chemicals, and salt water can still cause damage over time.

For water guidance specific to your material, see the Material Care section below or visit our Care Guide.

Chemicals

Many everyday products contain ingredients that affect metal surfaces. The damage is usually gradual, which is why it can be easy to overlook until the finish has already changed.

Remove your pieces before applying hand sanitiser. The alcohol content in sanitiser strips surface finishes over time, and because we use it so frequently it adds up quickly. Remove before using household cleaning products, bleach, or chlorine. Remove before swimming in a pool or spa. Remove before applying fake tan or body lotion if it has not fully absorbed.

Activities

Remove your pieces before the gym, gardening, or any activity involving heavy friction, impact, or sweat. Sweat is mildly acidic and affects surface finishes with repeated exposure. Friction from weights, equipment, or physical work accelerates wear on any plated or coated piece.

Sleeping in fine chains or delicate pieces is worth avoiding. Chains in particular are vulnerable to stress at the clasp and links when worn overnight.

After Wear

This is the simplest and most effective care habit you can build. After each wear, before you put your pieces away, wipe them with a soft dry cloth.

This removes the oils, residue, and environmental buildup that accumulate naturally throughout the day. It takes ten seconds and it makes a significant difference to how long any finish lasts. A polishing cloth kept on your dressing table or bedside table makes this easy to do consistently.

Cleaning Your Pieces

For most pieces, the after-wear wipe described above is enough for day-to-day maintenance. When a piece needs a more thorough clean, here is how to approach it.

For a deeper clean, warm water and a small amount of mild soap works well on most metals. Use a soft toothbrush to reach any detail work, chain links, or textured surfaces. Rinse gently and dry thoroughly straight away. Never leave moisture sitting on a surface. Always dry completely before storing.

A few things to avoid across all materials. Do not soak any piece with gemstones or pearls. Some stones are porous and can absorb liquid permanently, altering their appearance. Do not use abrasive polishes or harsh chemical cleaners on plated, vermeil, gold filled, or PVD pieces. These strip surface finishes over time and with repeated use.

Sterling silver benefits from a dedicated silver polishing cloth, which is impregnated with a fine polishing compound that removes tarnish and restores brightness effectively. A soft dry cloth alone will maintain silver between deeper cleans, but a silver cloth is the best tool for restoring a piece that has darkened.

Our Cleaning Range

Our cleaning range is formulated specifically for jewellery care at home. Non-toxic and safe to use, each product is designed to keep your pieces looking their best.

Silver Polishing Cloth suitable for all metals, the everyday maintenance tool we recommend for every piece.

Diamond & Gemstone Cleaning Pen for gemstone pieces that need targeted cleaning. Not suitable for porous stones including turquoise, malachite, and opal.

Storing Your Jewellery

How you store your jewellery matters as much as how you wear it. Exposure to air, light, and moisture all contribute to how quickly a finish changes.

Store each piece separately in a soft pouch or a lined jewellery box. Pieces stored together will scratch each other over time, particularly softer metals and plated finishes. The packaging your jewellery arrives in is designed for presentation and not for long-term storage.

Keep jewellery in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Bathrooms are one of the worst places to store jewellery. The humidity from showers and baths creates an environment that accelerates tarnishing and affects surface finishes.

An anti-tarnish tab stored alongside your pieces makes a significant difference. Anti-tarnish tabs absorb the moisture and sulphur compounds in the air that cause metals to darken. Storing jewellery in a small airtight bag with a tab provides the best protection, particularly for sterling silver pieces. Anti-tarnish tabs are inexpensive and widely available.

When travelling, a dedicated jewellery case or roll keeps pieces from tangling and protects them from the knocks that come with being in a bag. It is worth the small investment if you travel regularly with jewellery.

Material Care

Each material in our range has its own characteristics. This section covers the key care points for each one. For a full explanation of what each material is, how it is made, and what to expect from it over time, visit the Our Metals page.

Gold Vermeil

Gold vermeil is a layer of minimum 10 karat gold at a thickness of at least 2.5 microns over a sterling silver base. It is more durable than standard gold plating, but it is still a surface finish and needs care to maintain it.

Remove before swimming, showering, exercising, or applying skincare. The combination of moisture, heat, and chemicals is the main cause of premature wear on vermeil pieces. Clean with a soft dry cloth only. Liquid cleaners are not recommended for vermeil. Store separately in a soft pouch away from other pieces.

With the right care, gold vermeil maintains its finish well. The sterling silver base means that if a piece does need attention over time, re-plating is always an option.

Learn more about Gold Filled on our Our Metals page.

Gold Filled

Gold filled has a thick layer of solid gold mechanically bonded to a brass core. It contains significantly more gold than plated pieces and is built for daily wear.

Avoid prolonged water exposure, heavy friction, and chemical contact. Clean gently with a soft cloth. Avoid abrasive polishing, which can eventually wear through the gold layer. Remove before swimming and showering for best longevity.

Learn more about Gold Filled on our Our Metals page.

Gold Plated Sterling Silver

Gold plated sterling silver has a thinner layer of gold over a sterling silver base. It is beautiful when new, with the understanding that the finish will change with regular use. It is best suited to occasional wear rather than daily use.

Avoid water, sweat, and chemical contact. Clean with a soft dry cloth only. Store separately and remove before any activity that involves friction or impact.

Learn more about Gold Plated Sterling Silver on our Our Metals page.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver. It develops a natural patina over time, which many people find adds character to a piece. It polishes back to brightness easily with a silver polishing cloth.

Polish regularly with a silver polishing cloth to maintain brightness. Store in an anti-tarnish pouch or airtight bag with an anti-tarnish tab when not being worn. Remove before swimming in pools or spas. Chlorine and spa chemicals can cause silver to darken significantly and quickly.

A note on rhodium-plated silver. Some sterling silver pieces are plated with rhodium, which makes them more resistant to tarnishing and reduces the maintenance required. If your piece is rhodium plated, standard silver care still applies but you will find it tarnishes far less readily.

Learn more about Sterling Silver on our Our Metals page.

PVD Stainless Steel

PVD stainless steel is the most water-tolerant and durable finish in our range. Physical Vapour Deposition bonds a layer of ceramic-coloured coating to a stainless steel base, creating a finish that is highly resistant to water, sweat, and daily wear.

Safe for brief water exposure and daily wear with normal care. Avoid heavy abrasion and harsh chemical cleaners, which can affect the finish over time. Clean with a soft damp cloth and dry thoroughly.

Learn more about PVD Stainless Steel on our Our Metals page.

Gemstone and Pearl Care

Gemstones

Different gemstones have different levels of sensitivity, and it is worth knowing how your specific stone behaves before cleaning it.

As a general rule, clean gemstone pieces with a soft damp cloth rather than soaking them. Some stones are porous, including turquoise, malachite, and opal, and can absorb liquids and chemicals permanently, altering their colour or surface appearance. Avoid perfume, cleaning products, and liquid jewellery cleaners on or near porous stones.

If your piece has a set or glued stone, avoid hot water and soaking. Heat and prolonged moisture can soften the adhesive used to secure a stone in its setting, which can cause it to loosen or fall out over time. This applies across all stone types, not just porous ones.

Store gemstone pieces separately from other jewellery to avoid surface scratching.

Freshwater Pearls

Pearls are organic and require more care than any other material in our range. They are formed by living creatures and their surface, the nacre, is sensitive to chemicals, heat, and dryness in ways that mineral stones are not.

Wipe gently with a soft cloth after each wear to remove natural oils and residue. This is the single most important pearl care habit and takes only a few seconds. Keep away from perfume, hairspray, and all chemical products. These dull the nacre surface permanently and the damage cannot be reversed.

Avoid hot water and soaking, particularly if your pearl is set or glued. Heat can soften the adhesive used in pearl settings and loosen the stone from its mount.

Do not store pearls in an airtight container. Unlike other jewellery materials, pearls need a slight amount of ambient moisture to prevent the nacre from drying out and cracking. A soft pouch is ideal for storage.

Pearls are the last thing on and the first thing off. More than any other piece in your collection, they reward consistent care.

Jewellery Maintenance

Some jewellery maintenance issues are simple to fix at home if you know how. We have put together a series of short how-to videos covering the most common ones, including how to tighten earring backs and butterflies, how to close jump rings, and how to care for different clasp types.

If you have a question about a specific piece or need help with something not covered in our videos, we are happy to help.

Still Have Questions?

If you have a question about a specific piece or material, reach us at [info@bowerbirdjewels.com.au].

For full material information and honest wear expectations for every material we use, visit our Our Metals page.