Fine jewellery does not need much. It needs the right little, every time. Four habits, then a note for each material Amaurine works in.
The four habits
- Last on, first off. Jewellery goes on after perfume, sunscreen, hairspray and moisturiser, and comes off before they go on again. Cosmetic chemistry dulls a finish faster than wear does.
- Keep it dry. Off before the shower, the pool, the surf and the gym. Chlorine, salt water and sweat are the three fastest ways to age a gold surface, and Sydney's humid coastal air already does more than a dry inland climate would. Éternelle, our gold over steel, is the one exception, below.
- Wipe it down. Ten seconds with a soft, dry cloth after wearing takes off the skin oils that would otherwise sit on the surface overnight.
- Store it apart. One piece per pouch or compartment, closed, away from light and damp. Pieces stored loose together scratch each other, and a stone will mark a soft gold surface first.
Gold vermeil and gold over sterling
Gold does not tarnish, at any karat. What changes over time on a vermeil or gold-plated piece is the layer itself: it thins at the points that rub, a ring shank or the inside curve of a hoop, and the sterling beneath then does what sterling does, which is darken slowly and polish back. The four habits slow that more than anything else, because they keep chemistry and friction off the surface. Clean Souveraine and Lumière pieces with a dry, soft cloth only. Silver dips, polishing cloths and abrasive creams are made to remove a surface layer, and on these pieces the surface layer is the gold. If a piece needs more than a wipe, warm water with a drop of mild soap, then dry it completely.
Gold over steel: Éternelle
Water-safe: shower, gym and swim. Stainless steel does not rust or tarnish, so the Éternelle pieces can stay on through the water that vermeil, sterling and pearl should avoid. Rinse after the pool or the sea. Chlorine and salt left to dry are what age a gold surface, so a rinse in clean water and a pat dry, hinge included, is the whole routine; a hinge holds water long after the surface looks dry. The gold still wants only a dry, soft cloth, never a dip or a polishing cloth. The steel underneath is what holds the shape, so open a cuff like the Portique Cuff across the wrist rather than forcing it over the hand; the edges are where any plated surface wears first.
Sterling silver and moissanite
Sterling darkens with air. That is expected, it is not damage, and it comes back: a proper silver polishing cloth restores it in seconds, and on plain sterling that cloth is the right tool. Moissanite is hard enough to take real cleaning. Warm soapy water and a soft brush, then rinse and dry, and a pair like the Prélude Moissanite Studs will hold their fire through daily wear. Where an Étoilée piece is finished in platinum over the sterling, its page says so; give that finish the vermeil treatment, cloth only.
Pearl
Nacre is organic, and it is the softest surface in the collection. Pearls go on last and come off first without exception, because perfume and hairspray dull the surface for good. Wipe them with a soft cloth after wearing and keep water, soap and cleaning solutions away from them altogether. Store a piece like the Lagune Pearl Bracelet in a soft pouch or a lined box rather than a sealed plastic bag, because nacre needs a little air, and away from anything harder, since the surface marks easily. Baroque pearls are irregular by nature; the shape is the point.
Storage, in one table
- Chains
- Fasten the clasp before storing; a closed chain will not knot
- Rings
- Flat, not stacked; stones face up
- Studs
- Backs on, in pairs, in a lined tray
- Pearls
- A soft pouch, never a sealed bag, never touching a stone
- Avoid
- Bathrooms, windowsills, and loose bags
When to write to us
Every Amaurine piece carries a twelve-month craftsmanship warranty on the clasp, the setting and the finish in normal wear, alongside your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. If something has gone wrong that a cloth will not fix, email hello@amaurine.com with your order number and a photograph. The short version of all this lives on the Care page, and the Journal has longer notes on storage and on what "tarnish" on gold actually is.
Emily, founder of Amaurine · About Emily
