General Jewellery Care
Avoid direct contact with water and chemical products such as soap and perfume. Make-up, perfume and hairspray may dull the finish of your jewellery and cause discolouration or oxidation.
Remove your jewellery when doing household chores and do not wear your jewellery when swimming or while bathing, showering or sleeping. Keep your jewellery away from all sources of heat.
Always clean your jewellery pieces with a professional cleaning kit.
Stirling Silver
Silver is a very soft metal which is why it is often alloyed with other metals to increase the hardness. Pure silver is unsuitable for jewellery for this reason. When silver is combined with copper the hardness and therefore the durability of the metal is increased creating sterling silver.
Stirling silver is a high-quality silver made up of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper which explains why it will sometime be referred to as 925 Silver. If too much copper was used the colour of the silver would be affected. It is also the copper content in sterling silver which is the cause of tarnishing.
Tarnished sterling silver jewellery can easily be cleaned and restored to its original bright beauty. Care should be taken when cleaning sterling silver jewellery as it is still relatively soft and can be damaged with harsh or abrasive cleaners and brushes.
All Tom Wood jewellery is treated with anti-tarnish treatment. Tom Wood 925 sterling silver jewellery is plated with white rhodium plating to secure a strong and resistant surface. Still, silver might tarnish (oxidise) over time. To avoid this as much as possible, gently wipe your jewellery clean with a soft cloth after each wear to remove any dirt or oil. Silver polish can also be bought at any goldsmith.
SHOP STERLING SILVER JEWELLERY
9K Gold
9K Gold jewellery from Tom Wood is made of 925 sterling silver and plated with 1-micron 9k gold. It is a quite thick layer of gold, but plating’s will wear off over time depending on usage and can be re-plated by a professional jeweller.
9K gold is stronger than higher karat gold making it a very durable choice. High durability ensures it will not easily wear and tear and if you look after it, cleaning it often, it will last and look beautiful for longer.
Some of the metal used to make the alloy can cause skin irritation for some people. Nickel is the most common cause of skin irritation from jewellery for those with sensitive skin. For this reason Tom Wood do not use nickel in any alloy for any kind of jewellery.
Storage
To avoid scratching and rubbing it is recommended to store all jewellery pieces individually in provided jewellery boxes or soft bags. This also helps avoiding exposure from direct sunlight which might cause the jewellery to fade over time. For chains and bracelets, make sure ends of the chains are clasped together not tangled when storing.