At Veeaien Designs it's incredibly important that we provide quality handmade jewelry that will last a lifetime which is why we provide the highest quality materials. As with anything, to lengthen its life you must care for it properly. The thing is, with a variety of metal options to choose from, each type requires different care. In this post we'll be touching on basic care for your jewelry pieces that you purchase from us.

Now let's start with the basics, for all of your jewelry you should: 

• Avoid extended moisture, as water may react with the metal
• Remove before sleep to lessen damage
• Remove when active, as sweat may react with the metal
• Store in a jewelry bag as this will keep your jewelry safe and secure
• Remove before bathing or showering as ingredients in soaps and body wash may react with the metal
• Let perfumes fully dry before putting on your jewelry, the ingredients in your perfume or cologne may react with the metal

Let's take a look at each individual metal option you can choose from, and how you can care for each:

Aluminum

We use 1100 food grade aluminum, this is the least reactive metal to choose from. Aluminum won't turn your skin green. When cleaning aluminum, avoid using jewelry cleaners, as they may damage the aluminum. Aluminum can be cleaned with soap and water. Aluminum jewelry can also be worn in water.

Sterling Silver

We use sterling silver, which is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper which is the standard percentages for sterling silver metal. Sterling silver may react to extended use of hand sanitizer, which differs from person to person. Sterling silver jewelry will be sent with a polishing pad, you can polish and shine your jewelry with the provided polishing pad. Sterling silver typically tarnishes over time, and although it can be worn in water, the more moisture and water the metal is exposed to the quicker it can tarnish. Keep in mind, the tarnish can easily be removed with the polishing pad.

Fine Silver

We use fine silver which is 99.9% pure silver, and 0.1% copper for strength. Fine silver will not turn your skin green. Fine silver jewelry will be sent with a polishing pad, you can polish and shine your jewelry with the provided polishing pad. You can take it a step further by cleaning your fine silver jewelry with silver polish, which can be found at your local hardware store. Fine silver can be worn in water with very minimal reaction.

Stainless Steel

We use 304 stainless steel which is the standard for stamped stainless steel jewelry. Stainless steel is a very hard metal, so when figuring out your size try to get as close to your size as possible as they're a little difficult to adjust. Stainless steel will not turn your skin green, and we recommend against using harsh jewelry cleaners. For stainless steel jewelry we recommend cleaning your jewelry with soap and water. Being that stainless steel jewelry is not reactive, you can wear your stainless steel jewelry in water.

Gold Plated / Rose Gold Plated

We use 14k gold plated metal that has a thin dipped 2.0 mil gold layer over jewelers brass core. Jewelers brass is a combination of zinc and copper to create a strong core. Gold plated jewelry isn't extremely durable and may flake off with extended wear. The jewelers brass may turn your skin green when exposed. Do not use jewelry cleaners on gold plated jewelry as it will more quickly remove the plating. Clean the jewelry with a microfiber cloth and with nothing else. Limit any exposure to water as it will wear down the gold plating.

Gold Filled / Rose Gold Filled

We use 14k gold filled metal. Gold filled means that there's a thicker layer of gold that is bonded with extreme heat and pressure to the jewelers brass core of zinc and copper. The difference between gold filled jewelry and gold plated jewelry is the gold is more permanently bonded to the metal core, making it extremely difficult for the gold layer to wear down. Gold filled metal very rarely turns your skin green. We recommend against cleaning your gold filled jewelry with harsh jewelry cleaners, instead clean with a microfiber cloth and/or soap and water. Your Gold filled jewelry can be worn in water.

What to do if the darkening on your jewelry is fading?

The darkening in your tarot card charm necklaces and earrings is oxidation of the metal, the more you wear the tarot card jewelry, the darker the impressions will get.

All other jewelry with darkened impressions are filled with an enamel that although durable is not permanent. The more you wash your jewelry, the quicker the enamel will break down and disappear. Do not fear! Nail polish is similar to the enamel I use and can be used to re-darken your jewelry. To re-darken your jewelry:

1. Fill the impressions with nail polish
2. Wait 15 seconds, then wipe off the excess
3. Wait 2-5 minutes to allow the nail polish to dry
4. Put non-acetone nail polish remover on a paper towel and lightly wipe off remaining residue
5. Enjoy your jewelry that looks like new!

Have more questions about how to properly care for your jewelry? Shoot us a message and we can help! Click here to visit our contact form.