Jewellery Care Instructions

Every piece of AVILIO jewellery is made with care from Sterling Silver, 18k or 14k Gold-plated, Shell or Freshwater Pearls and Cubic Zirconias.

Following are instructions on how to make your jewellery last a lifetime:

WHAT is sterling silver?

 

Sterling silver is an alloy (a mix) of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. Hence why it is called 925 sterling silver. It’s the other metals that make the precious metal strong enough to work with and wear. Without them, fine silver would be too soft as a metal for the everyday wear of jewellery. 

 

WHY does sterling silver jewellery tarnish over time?

 

ALL sterling silver jewellery will age and tarnish naturally. However, with proper care, your precious metal will retain its beauty and shine. It is therefore recommended to clean your jewellery regularly if you want to keep your pieces in pristine condition.

 

Silver tarnishes when it is exposed to the air. This process is called oxidization and results in a tarnishing effect on the silver which is called Silver Sulphate. This is the chemical reaction the other metals and copper have with the air. This is what creates that blue/brown look on the silver. It can also leave marks on your skin if you haven’t cleaned the jewellery item.

 

HOW to care for sterling silver jewellery?

 

To enhance the life of your AVILIO sterling silver jewellery, the following steps are advised:

• Avoid contact with all liquids and chemicals, such as perfume, sea water, mayonnaise, ammonia, chlorinated pool water, hair spray and sweat. Contact with these substances will increase the rate at which tarnishing occurs.
• Always protect your jewellery from sharp blows, scratching, chemicals, direct sunlight and heat/cold, especially humid. 
• When you put away your jewellery, make sure it’s completely dry and kept it in the AVILIO soft line box or cloth pouch provided when you bought the jewellery. This will protect it from scratches as well as help slow the tarnishing process. Try to keep pieces apart so they don't rub together.
• To further reduce the tarnishing effect, if possible, store your silver jewellery in plastic zip lock bags to avoid contact with the air. 
• Remember to put your jewellery on after you’ve used any hair spray, body spray or perfume, as these products can tarnish it. Make sure your jewellery is the last thing you put on before you go out.

 

WHAT to do if your sterling silver jewellery does tarnish?

 

Cleaning silver jewellery is best done with a professional jewellery cleaning product. The tarnishing effect can be removed easily by buffing with a sliver jewellery cloth or using a silver cleaning product like Goddard’s Silver Dip. You can just dip your jewellery item into the liquid and within seconds it removes all of the tarnish. 

 

WHAT to do if you still have questions?

 

If you still have any questions regarding the jewellery care, please feel free to drop us a line at info@aviliolondon.com 

 

Enjoy your AVILIO jewellery!