Guides
Caring for handmade jewellery, material by material
Every piece's page carries its own short care line. This is the longer version — what each material actually wants from you, and why. None of it is complicated; most of it is just order of operations.
The three rules that cover everything
On last, off first. Jewellery goes on after perfume, lotion, and hairspray, and comes off before swimming, showering, or sleeping. Almost every mark a piece picks up in its lifetime comes from skipping this.
Keep it dry. Water is no friend to natural stone, shell, or the cord and wire that hold a handmade piece together. A soft, dry cloth after wearing is all the cleaning most pieces ever need.
Give it a home. Stored in its pouch, away from direct sunlight, a piece keeps its colour and its drape. Sunlight on a windowsill fades natural materials slowly and permanently.
Turquoise
Turquoise is a soft, slightly porous stone — it drinks in whatever touches it, which is why oils and perfume dull its colour over time. Wipe it gently after wearing and keep it away from anything sprayed. The chips on a piece like the Natural Turquoise Chip Stone Necklace vary naturally in tone — that variation is the stone's character, not a change to correct.
Shell & mother-of-pearl
Shell — including the abalone in the Ocean Shard Shell Necklace – Natural Abalone Statement Piece and the mother-of-pearl in the Handmade Mother-of-Pearl Shell Statement Necklace — keeps its lustre best when it stays dry and unscratched. Store shell pieces separately from harder stones so nothing rubs against the surface, and never use chemical cleaners: a dry cloth restores the shine on its own.
Glass beads
Glass is the easy one — it doesn't fade and doesn't absorb. What it asks for is care against knocks: hand-strung glass, like the Blush Tide Murano Pendant Necklace, would rather hang or lie flat than live tangled in a drawer. If a piece loses its sparkle, breathe on it and buff with a soft cloth — that's the whole ritual.
Agate
Agate is harder-wearing than most natural stones, which makes it a good everyday companion — but its banding and gloss still prefer a dry life. The honey and sunset tones in a piece like the Golden Sunset Agate Bead Necklace are natural to each stone; a quick wipe after wearing keeps them deep.
Pearl
Pearls are organic and the most tender thing we string — perfume and hairspray can dull their surface for good, so the on-last-off-first rule matters most here. Pieces with pearl accents, like the Red Jasper & Cream Stone Beaded Necklace with Pearl Accents, are happiest worn often (skin contact suits them) and wiped softly before they go back in the pouch.
If something does go wrong
Threads loosen, clasps tire — handmade things can be mended by hand. Before you retire a piece or attempt a repair yourself, write to us. We made it once; we'd rather be the ones to put it right. Our FAQ covers what happens if a piece arrives less than perfect.