How to care for the jewelry you made
Silver darkens, brass can leave a green line and gold plating wears where it rubs. All of that is normal, and a few easy habits keep your piece looking the way it did on the day you finished it at our bench.
Updated
Three habits that do most of the work
01
On last, off first
Put jewelry on after sunscreen, lotion and perfume have dried. Take it off first when you get home.
02
Keep it dry
Take it off for the sea, the pool, surfing, the gym and the shower. Dry it fully before you put it away.
03
Clean gently
Warm water, a drop of mild soap, an extra-soft brush and a soft cloth. Nothing gritty, nothing acidic.
Silver
Why is my silver ring turning dark?
Silver turns dark because it reacts with sulfur in the air and forms tarnish, a thin film of silver sulfide. It sits only on the surface, does not damage the metal, and comes off with warm soapy water and a silver polishing cloth.
Damp air speeds it up. Bali is humid all year, so a ring can darken faster here, or in a damp suitcase, than at home. Wearing it often and wiping it after wear slows tarnish down.
- Silver is a soft metal. A thin ring can bend if it is squeezed or knocked, and it picks up fine scratches with daily wear: that is the nature of the metal, not a defect.
- Pool chlorine leaves a cloudy grey film; hot springs (sulfur) darken silver quickly.
- A grey mark on your skin is tarnish rubbing off. It is harmless and washes away.
How to clean a silver ring at home
- 01Fill a small bowl (not the sink) with warm water and one or two drops of mild dish soap. Soak for a few minutes.
- 02Brush lightly with an extra-soft or baby toothbrush around the design and under any stone.
- 03Rinse in a second bowl of clean warm water.
- 04Dry fully with a soft cotton cloth, then let it air-dry for an hour.
- 05For light tarnish, rub gently with a silver polishing cloth. Stop as soon as it looks right.
Very dark pieces, pieces with stones and blackened designs are best brought to a jeweler.
Do
- Wipe it with a soft cotton cloth after wearing, especially after sweat or sunscreen.
- Use a silver polishing cloth for light tarnish: the gentlest polish there is.
- Store each piece clean and dry in its own small zip bag, air pressed out, with a piece of anti-tarnish strip.
- Take rings off for the gym, surfing, carrying heavy bags and garden work.
- Ask a jeweler to reshape a bent ring rather than forcing it with pliers.
Don't
- Swim in the sea or the pool, or soak in hot springs, wearing silver.
- Store silver with rubber bands or in wool-felt boxes (both give off sulfur).
- Use toothpaste, scouring powder or a hard toothbrush.
- Put it in the dishwasher or an ultrasonic cleaner, especially with a stone set in it.
- Polish a blackened (oxidised) design with dips or cloths unless you want the dark lines gone.
Can I clean silver with baking soda?
Sometimes, and gently. Home-cleaning guides recommend a baking-soda paste, while museum conservators prefer a softer chalk paste, so use it rarely, with light pressure, and only on plain silver with no stones, no blackened design and no gold plating. Rinse very well and dry fully.
How do I stop silver from tarnishing?
Keep it dry and away from air when you are not wearing it: clean and dry each piece, then store it in its own small zip bag with the air pressed out and a piece of anti-tarnish strip or a silica gel sachet. Keep it away from rubber bands and wool, and wear it often.
Brass and gold plating
How to clean gold-plated and brass jewelry
Clean gold-plated jewelry with a soft cloth dampened in lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap, then pat it dry. Never use a silver polishing cloth, metal polish, toothpaste or baking soda on it: the gold is a thin layer and they rub it away.
Pieces from our brass class go home gold plated, and gold plating is an option in the silver classes. The gold is a very thin layer, and it wears away where it rubs: fastest on rings and bracelets, slowest on earrings and pendants. That wear is normal, not a fault.
Brass itself is mostly copper. When the plating wears thin, usually inside a ring band, sweat can react with the copper and leave a green line on your finger. It is a harmless stain that washes off with soap and water. Red or itchy skin is different: take the piece off and ask a pharmacist or doctor.
How to clean gold-plated jewelry
- 01Add one drop of mild dish soap to a small bowl of lukewarm water.
- 02Dip a soft microfibre or cotton cloth, wring it out well and wipe the piece gently, going easy on edges.
- 03Wipe again with a second cloth dipped in clean water.
- 04Pat dry and let it air-dry fully before you store it.
If brassy, silver-white or pink metal starts to show through, the piece needs re-plating, not polishing.
Do
- Put it on last and take it off first, as with all jewelry.
- Wipe it with a soft, slightly damp cloth after wearing, then dry it.
- Keep it on its own in a soft pouch or zip bag, so harder pieces cannot scratch it.
- Wear a plated ring for special days and plated earrings or pendants more often, if you want the gold to last longest.
- On an unplated brass ring, a thin coat of clear nail polish inside the band stops the green line. Re-coat when it wears through.
Don't
- Use a silver polishing cloth, metal polish, toothpaste or baking soda on gold plating: they take the gold off.
- Clean brass with lemon, vinegar, salt or ketchup. They can turn brass pink and attack worn spots.
- Wear it in the sea, the pool, the shower or the gym.
- Spray perfume straight onto it, or soak it for long.
- Put it in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner.
Why does brass turn my finger green?
Brass is mostly copper, and sweat reacts with copper to leave a green stain, usually where gold plating has worn thin inside a ring band. It is harmless and washes off with soap and water.
How long does gold plating last?
There is no fixed time: it depends on how thick the plating is, what the piece is and how it is worn. Rings and bracelets rub against things all day and wear fastest; earrings and pendants can stay golden much longer. Gentle cleaning and taking it off for water, sport and sunscreen make it last.
The gold has worn off my brass piece. What now?
Brass darkens over time; that is the nature of the metal. Once the gold has worn away and you would rather have the brass shine, a brass polish from a hardware store (Brasso or similar) brings back the metal's own shine. Use it only on bare brass, never on plating you want to keep. A jeweler can also re-plate the piece.
14K gold
How to care for solid 14K gold
Solid 14K gold does not tarnish like silver, so it needs little care: wash it now and then in warm water with a drop of mild soap, brush gently with an extra-soft brush, rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
The pieces from our 14K gold class are solid gold all the way through, not plated, so there is no thin layer to wear away. 14K gold is gold mixed with other metals, which makes it harder than pure gold, but it can still scratch and lose its shine with daily wear.
How to clean solid gold at home
- 01Soak it for a few minutes in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap.
- 02Brush gently with an extra-soft toothbrush, around any stone too.
- 03Rinse in clean warm water.
- 04Dry fully with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Do
- Wash it in warm soapy water when it looks dull, and dry it with a soft cloth.
- Store it in its own pouch or box compartment so harder stones cannot scratch it.
- Take rings off for the gym, surfing and garden work.
- Bring it to a jeweler for a professional polish if it is deeply scratched.
Don't
- Wear it in the pool or hot tub: chlorine and harsh cleaners are best kept away from every metal, gold included.
- Scrub it with toothpaste or scouring powder.
- Put a piece with a stone in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner.
Gemstones
How to clean jewelry with gemstones
Clean jewelry with gemstones in warm water with a drop of mild soap and an extra-soft brush, then dry with a lint-free cloth. Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners: they can loosen or crack many stones.
Warm water, a drop of mild soap and an extra-soft brush are safe for every stone in our tray. Ultrasonic cleaners shake stones loose and can crack the softer ones, and steam and sudden temperature changes are risky for most of them. Rinse a dusty stone before wiping it: dust contains quartz, which scratches anything softer.
Hardness (Mohs) is scratch resistance, not toughness. For a ring worn every day, choose a stone of 7 or more; keep softer stones for pendants and earrings, or take the ring off on active days. See all ten on the gemstones page.
| Stone | Hardness | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic Zirconia | 8.5 Mohs | Hard and lab-made. Lotion films dull its sparkle, so wash it with soap. |
| Tanzanite | 6.5 - 7.0 Mohs | Breaks from a hard knock. Never ultrasonic or steam; avoid heat and sudden cold. |
| Sapphire | 9.0 Mohs | Very hard and tough. Soap and water; a damp cloth only if the stone is filled or dyed. |
| Green Emerald | 7.5 - 8.0 Mohs | Almost always oil- or resin-filled. No heat, steam, ultrasonic or solvents. |
| Garnet | 6.5 - 7.5 Mohs | Fine for daily wear; avoid hard knocks and steam. |
| Peridot | 6.5 - 7.0 Mohs | Acids attack it, even acidic sweat over a long time. Rinse after hot days. |
| Moonstone | 6.0 - 6.5 Mohs | Low toughness. Warm soapy water only; never ultrasonic or steam. |
| Larimar | 5.0 - 7.0 Mohs | Soft and easy to scratch; its colour can fade with strong light and heat. |
| Turquoise | 5.0 - 6.0 Mohs | Porous: it soaks up lotion, sunscreen, perfume and cleaners, which can change its colour. |
| Tourmaline | 7.0 - 7.5 Mohs | High heat can change its colour and sudden temperature change can crack it. |
In Bali and on the way home
Can you swim, surf or shower with your jewelry?
Take it off. Sea water and pool chlorine dull silver and wear away gold plating, cold water makes rings slip off, a thin ring can bend on a surfboard, and shower steam and soap leave a film. Put it back on once you are dry.
Sea water, chlorine, sunscreen, sweat and sulfur all reach jewelry faster on holiday. Cold water also shrinks fingers, and a ring can slip off in the waves without you noticing.
- Beach and surf
- Take rings and bracelets off. Keep them in a zipped pocket, not loose in the sand.
- Take off
- Pool and hot tub
- Take everything off. Rinse any piece that got wet in fresh water and dry it.
- Take off
- Spa, massage and sauna
- Take everything off: oils soak into porous stones, and heat and steam stress them.
- Take off
- Hot springs and volcano treks
- Leave silver and stone pieces at the villa: sulfur darkens silver fast.
- Take off
- Sunscreen and lotion
- Put them on, let them dry, wash your hands, then put your jewelry on.
- Then wear
- Dinner and temples
- Wear it and enjoy it.
- Wear
- Every evening
- Wipe it with a soft cloth and keep it in a closed bag or box, not on a damp bathroom counter.
- Store
How to pack jewelry for the flight home
- 01Clean and dry each piece fully, ideally for an hour.
- 02Check that stones sit tight and clasps close.
- 03Put each piece in its own small zip bag and press the air out.
- 04Add a piece of anti-tarnish strip or a silica gel sachet to silver bags.
- 05Keep the bags in a small box or hard case, in your hand luggage, away from your toiletry bag.
- 06At home, take them out of the plastic, wipe them and store them dry.
Jewelry cleaning myths: toothpaste, lemon and more
Most kitchen tricks either scratch silver, strip gold plating or turn brass pink. The safe default is always the same: mild soap, warm water, an extra-soft brush and a soft cloth.
“Toothpaste cleans silver.”
It is abrasive, leaves fine scratches on soft silver, wears through plating and dries hard under stones.
Skip it
“Foil and baking soda make silver look new.”
It can work on plain silver with no stones, but it strips blackened designs and is not for plated pieces or stones.
Only sometimes
“Lemon, vinegar or ketchup make brass shine.”
Acids pull zinc out of brass and leave a pink surface, and they get into worn plating.
Skip it
“A silver cloth is fine on gold plating.”
Silver cloths are rougher than gold and wear through the plating.
False
“Tarnish means it is not real silver.”
Real silver tarnishes; that is normal chemistry, and it stays on the surface.
False
“A green finger means the jewelry is bad.”
It is copper reacting with sweat: a harmless stain that washes off.
False
“Polish silver before you store it.”
Freshly polished silver tarnishes faster, and every polish removes a little metal.
Not needed
Care questions guests ask
Something else about your piece? Message us on WhatsApp with a photo.
Why did my silver ring turn dark?
Silver reacts with sulfur in the air and forms tarnish, a thin dark film of silver sulfide on the surface. Humid air like Bali's, hot springs, rubber and wool speed it up. It does not damage the silver and comes off with soap, water and a silver polishing cloth.
Is baking soda safe for cleaning silver?
Use it rarely and gently, and only on plain silver with no stones, no blackened design and no gold plating. A drop of mild soap in warm water and a silver polishing cloth are gentler and remove most tarnish; rinse well after any paste.
Does toothpaste clean silver?
It removes tarnish, but it is abrasive: it leaves fine scratches on soft silver, wears through gold plating and can dry hard under stones. Warm soapy water and a silver polishing cloth are the better choice.
How do I clean a silver ring at home?
Soak it for a few minutes in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, brush gently with an extra-soft toothbrush, rinse, dry fully with a soft cloth, and rub light tarnish away with a silver polishing cloth.
Why does my brass ring turn my finger green?
Brass is mostly copper, and sweat reacts with copper to leave a green stain, usually where gold plating has worn thin inside the band. The stain is harmless and washes off with soap and water; a thin coat of clear nail polish inside an unplated band prevents it.
How long does gold plating last?
It depends on the thickness of the plating, the type of piece and how often it is worn. Rings and bracelets wear fastest because they rub against things; earrings and pendants last much longer. Gentle cleaning and taking it off for water, sport and sunscreen make it last longer.
Can I swim or surf with the ring I made?
Better not. Sea water and pool chlorine dull silver and wear gold plating, cold water makes rings slip off, and a thin ring can bend on a surfboard. Take it off before you go in, and rinse it in fresh water if it got wet.
How should I pack handmade jewelry for the flight home?
Clean and dry each piece, put it in its own small zip bag with a piece of anti-tarnish strip or silica gel, and carry it in a small box in your hand luggage, away from your toiletries.
Make the piece first
A 1 to 2 hour class at our Kerobokan studio, with a Balinese silversmith beside you. You take it home the same day, along with these care tips.