Jewellery Care

Silver is meant to be worn. It is a living metal that reacts to air, skin and everything you put on your hands. A piece that is worn often and cared for lightly will hold its finish far better than one shut away in a drawer.

Daily wear

• Put your jewellery on last. After perfume, after lotion, after hairspray, after makeup.
• Take it off first. Before you shower, swim, sleep, exercise or clean the house.
• Wipe the piece with a soft dry cloth when you take it off. This one habit removes the sweat and oils that cause most tarnish.
• Take rings off before washing dishes or applying hand cream.

Water, perfume and chemicals

Chlorinated pool water is the harshest thing silver meets in ordinary life and will dull a finish quickly. Sea water is next. Ordinary tap water is not a problem in itself, but water left sitting in crevices and settings will mark over time, so dry the piece properly.

Perfume, deodorant, hair products, sunscreen and household bleach all contain compounds that attack silver and stones. Keep them away from your jewellery. If a piece does catch a spray, wipe it down the same day.

Storage

• Store each piece separately. Silver scratches silver, and a harder stone will scratch a softer setting.
• Keep pieces in the pouch or box they arrived in, or in an airtight bag.
• Keep storage dry. Humidity accelerates tarnish more than anything else. A bathroom shelf is the worst place in the house.
• A sachet of silica gel or a piece of chalk in the box will absorb moisture.
• Fasten clasps before storing so chains do not tangle.

Cleaning polished silver

For everyday cleaning, use a soft dry polishing cloth and work in straight strokes, not circles. For anything more, use a drop of mild soap in warm water, clean gently with a soft toothbrush, rinse in clean water and dry completely with a soft cloth before putting the piece away.

Do not use toothpaste, baking soda or abrasive powders on our pieces. They are harder than the rhodium finish and will wear straight through it.

Cleaning oxidised finishes

Oxidised jewellery is different, and it matters. The dark tone in the recesses is deliberate. It is what gives the piece its depth. Polishing it the way you would polish a bright silver piece will strip that tone out and flatten the design.

• Use a dry soft cloth only, and only on the raised surfaces.
• Never use a silver dip or tarnish-removing solution on an oxidised piece. A dip removes oxidation, which is the entire point of the finish.
• Avoid polishing cloths treated with cleaning compound.
• If an oxidised piece needs more than a wipe, write to us rather than experimenting.

The rhodium finish

Our pieces are rhodium-finished. Rhodium is a hard, bright, non-reactive metal from the platinum family, applied as a thin outer layer. It is what keeps the silver bright and slows tarnish down.

The finish is durable but it is not permanent. It wears with friction, so the pieces that see it first are rings and bangles, at the points where the metal rubs against a surface. How long it lasts depends on how often the piece is worn and how it is treated. Keeping chemicals off it is the single biggest factor.

What causes tarnish, and how to reverse it

Tarnish is not rust and it is not a fault. It is silver sulphide, a thin dark film that forms when silver meets sulphur compounds in the air, in sweat, in wool, in rubber bands, in some foods such as eggs and onions, and in most cosmetics. Humidity speeds it up.

Early tarnish shows as a slight yellow cast. Left longer it turns brown, then near black. Caught early it comes off with a few minutes of gentle work on a polishing cloth. If a piece has gone dark and the cloth is not enough, send us a photograph before trying anything stronger, and we will tell you what is safe for that specific piece.

Travelling with jewellery

• Carry jewellery in your hand baggage, never in checked luggage.
• Use a roll or a case with separate padded slots rather than letting pieces sit loose together.
• Thread chains through a drinking straw or a folded strip of paper to stop them knotting in transit.
• Coastal and humid destinations will tarnish silver faster. Pack a sealed bag and put pieces away rather than leaving them out in a hotel room.
• Take pieces off before the pool and the sea, not after.

Questions about a specific piece

Write to care@ruaab.in, call +91 95870 50707, or message us on WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm IST. If you are unsure whether something is safe to try, ask first.