Jewelry Care
Like you, our jewelry is made to be loved and cherished.
You deserve the very best, which means high-quality pieces that don't eat up all your savings. At Ptera, our goal is to provide you with high-quality materials befitting to leading luxury brands at half the price. That's why we make our jewelry using sterling silver and gold vermeil. These precious metals are hypoallergenic, durable, and affordable, and can last a long time with the proper maintenance and care.
To learn more about our materials, click here
To help keep your jewelry looking shiny and new, follow our helpful tips provided below.
Jewelry Care
Preventative Care
To help extend the life of your jewelry:
– Avoid wearing it in water, especially showers, pools, or while washing your hands
– Keep it away from lotions, perfumes, and other chemicals
– Store it in a soft pouch or box when you’re not wearing it
– Give it a gentle wipe with a soft cloth after wearing to remove any oils or residue
Cleaning Gold Vermeil
Our gold vermeil is sterling silver plated with 2.5 microns of 18K gold. This thick layer of gold allows us to provide you with beautiful, luxurious pieces that last you 5-100x longer than standard gold-plated jewelry. However, since gold vermeil is still a type of gold-plated jewelry, you should avoid using cleaning solutions with harsh ingredients to clean your vermeil pieces. To polish/clean your vermeil jewelry, we recommend the following:
An Un-treated Cloth. The best and most simple way to clean your vermeil jewelry is by gently rubbing and polishing your piece with a soft, lint-free cloth or microfiber cloth. Avoid using a polishing cloth or silver cloth unless they specifically say "un-treated". These types of polishing cloths usually have polishing agents or chemicals that can cause premature wear-down.
Lukewarm Water & Soft Liquid Soap. If your piece needs a deeper clean, mix a small amount of soft liquid soap into a lukewarm bowl of water and dip a soft cloth into the bowl. Wring the cloth and use it to gently rub and polish your piece until it is clean. Avoid using a brush (even if it is soft-bristled). It can be too abrasive and cause scratches. Once your piece has been cleaned, rinse it off with a new soft cloth that has been wet with clean water. Then carefully dry it with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth or microfiber cloth.
Do Not Use Abrasives, Acids, Or Other Harsh Cleaning Agents. Baking soda and other abrasives can break down the gold plating. Likewise, acids (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) and other harsh cleaning agents can cause premature wear-down.
Cleaning Sterling Silver
Sterling silver is an alloyed metal made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% alloy. It is a popular metal due to its affordability and malleability, but over time, it may tarnish and lose its shine. To combat this, we utilize an advanced rhodium plating technique that is followed by polishing and protective coating, enhancing the durability and beauty of our sterling silver pieces. However, If your sterling silver has worn down and begun to tarnish, try cleaning it with one of these jeweler-approved home remedies:
Polishing Cloth. Gently rub the polishing cloth on your sterling silver piece, switching to different areas on the cloth.
Soap & Water. The first cleaning solution you should use when cleaning your sterling silver is soap and water. These two gentle cleansers will be the least corrosive to your jewelry and should be considered your linemen when it comes to cleaning sterling silver.
Baking Soda. If soap and water doesn't do the trick, try using baking soda. Mix two parts baking soda with one part water and use a clean cloth to apply the paste and polish your jewelry. When trying to get into small crevices, we recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush.
Storing Your jewelry
To increase your jewelry’s longevity, store your jewelry in a jewelry box lined with felt or in your Ptera box/pouch that was included in your purchase.
JEWELRY Made to be loved, just like you
