OUR MATERIALS & YOU
Our jewellery is handmade by artisans and built to last. We only work with high quality precious metals and natural gemstones so you can wear your favourite pieces every day, forever. With proper care, our jewellery pieces should last you a lifetime.
The base metal in our jewellery is 925 Sterling Silver. Some pieces have 22ct gold plating and some also have natural precious stones and gems. All our jewellery is free of lead, nickel and cadmium. All our Sterling Silver products are protected with an anti-tarnish solution to help prevent tarnish but this may eventually wear with time.
If you are slightly allergic to your earrings, or get a rash or itchy reaction when wearing them, try switching to wearing solid gold jewellery or try putting a little bit of clear nail varnish on the post and butterfly. When it eventually wears off just re-apply it.
With time and wear, sterling silver will naturally become oxidised and eventually tarnish making it look black. Earrings can often react to your natural body chemistry making the posts appear black. This will not harm your skin.
HOW TO REDUCE WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR JEWELLERY
Always remember that your jewellery should be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off when dressing.
Be careful not to spray perfume, apply creams or makeup, oils or hair products on to your jewellery. Allow these products to dry before wearing your jewellery.
You should also remove jewellery when you shower, bathe or engage in heavy exercise, particularly when swimming in the sea or a chlorinated swimming pool, as this can cause your jewellery to become dull and lose its shine.
All of our gemstones are natural and therefore can be vulnerable to absorbing dirt and to chipping. Settings may also become loose over-time.
Keep your jewellery away from any harsh chemicals such as household cleaning products, and also while doing activities where the jewellery could be knocked or scratched.
Always store your jewellery pieces so that they don’t rub together, scratch or tangle.
HOW TO STORE YOUR JEWELLERY
Silver jewellery should be kept in a dark, cool and dry place. We highly recommend that you store your jewellery in the original Protsaah handmade cotton paper box or our OEKO-TEX cotton storage pouch. Place a small packet of desiccant crystals in the packaging if you live in a humid climate.
Ideally store your pieces of jewellery separately, so that they don't rub together or become tangled. Rather than storing them in a box, hanging necklaces can help avoid tangling. Also remember to keep your chains fastened so they don’t become tangled.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR JEWELLERY
You may find that the shine on your jewellery fades a little over time; this is perfectly normal, particularly for pieces worn on high-contact areas like rings and bracelets. You can make your jewellery bright and shiny again by following the care instructions below, and it should look its best for a very long time.
Before you start, make sure you use a bowl and not the sink! The last thing you want is to watch your jewellery disappear down the drain. You will also need a soft cloth, mild soap and another soft cloth for drying.
Gold Plating
The plating on our gold pieces is 22k gold, laser-plated onto sterling silver at a thickness of about 1-2 microns.
To keep your jewellery looking radiant and to remove the build-up of dirt and premature tarnish we recommend using a specialised polishing cloth (available on request). Rub the piece in one direction rather than circular motions. Do not use tissue paper or paper towels to clean metal as they can cause scratching.
If your pieces are in need of some cleaning or if the grime is more substantial, you can use a mild washing up liquid with warm water and a soft toothbrush, then rinse with clean water and pat dry with a soft cloth. Do not leave any piece of jewellery damp.
If you wear a lot of jewellery it is worth investing in a polishing cloth or liquid ‘dip’ cleaner for keeping your pieces shining for longer. Cleaning products for silver are readily available in larger supermarkets.
Silver
Our pieces are made with 925 sterling silver. Silver is a soft metal that is easily scratched or tarnished.
We all have very different skin types, the acids and oils produced by our bodies vary and can affect the speed at which the silver will tarnish when it comes into contact with the natural oils of your skin.
To keep your jewellery looking radiant and to remove the build-up of dirt and premature tarnish we recommend using a specialised silver polishing cloth (available on request) or a soft cloth and some silver polish. Rub the piece in one direction rather than circular motions. Do not use tissue paper or paper towels to clean metal as they can cause scratching.
If the tarnishing is more substantial, you can use a silver cleaner liquid with warm water and a soft toothbrush, then rinse with clean water and pat dry with a soft cloth. Do not leave any piece of jewellery damp.
A silver cleaner can be used to clean Sterling Silver pieces but not 22ct Rose or Yellow Gold Vermeil.
Gemstones & Pearls
Do not keep jewellery in direct sunlight as prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause many gemstones to fade and lose their colour.
Since many natural gemstones can be quite delicate, hot water, harsh chemicals and cleaners should be avoided at all times. Clean your gemstones with a clean, soft, damp cloth after wearing.
Do not use tissue paper or paper towels to clean gemstones as they can cause scratching.
Very porous stones such as Howlite should be cleaned using an untreated, dry, soft cloth only.
Freshwater Pearls are sensitive in nature, so don’t forget to treat them with love. Avoid direct contact with chemicals found in perfume or other cosmetics. DO NOT use ‘dip’ style jewellery cleaner on Pearl jewellery.
Textile Cord Bracelets
The best way to clean the thread on your corded bracelets is occasionally wash them with a soft sponge and mild soap in lukewarm water.