Jewellery Care

Sterling silver is a soft metal, avoid excessive bumps and knocks, as this can mark your jewellery. Silver also tends to tarnish over time and especially if you wear during physical activity or it comes into contact with chemicals and moisture.

Keep your silver jewellery clean and dry to avoid tarnishing and use a polishing cloth to maintain surface shine. We recommend using a professional silver clean which will keep your jewels super sparkly, or soaking in warm water and liquid soap, then polishing with a silver cloth regularly.

* If your jewellery is kept somewhere that tends to get damp, keep it in a plastic zip lock plastic bag to protect it from tarnishing.

We work with 9, 14 and 18 carat gold. Please contact us if you have a special request or bespoke item in mind.

Gold jewellery, like silver, needs to be kept away from harsh chemicals and is particularly sensitibe to chlorine, so avoiding swimming in chlorinated pools whilst earing gold is a must. To clean we advise soaking your items in a shallow dish with warm water and a small amount of non-chemical soap. Rince well and then leave to dry on a paper towel, polishing your items regularly with a good quality jewellery cloth is recommended.

14k rolled gold jewellery is considerably thicker than gold plate and depending on how often youy wear them they can last anywhere from 5 years to a lifetime. Rolled gold jewellery is composed of a solid layer of 14k gold bonded with heat andd ressure to bronze or brass. Because of this thick layer it is safe for the majority of people with sensitive skin who are able to wear solid gold to wear it. A lot of Victorian jewellery is made from rolled gold and is still in great condition after more than a century.

To clean, please avoid excessive polishing and rubbing as this can cause the plating to wear. We advise soaking your items in a shallow dish with warm water and a small amount of non-chemical soap, rinse well and then leave to dry on a paper towel. A very gentle stroke with a jewellery cloth is Ok to bring back shine.

Our gold plated jewellery has a sterling silver, bronze or brass base and is electroplated with 18 carat gold.

Looking after your gold plated jewellery with care is highly recommended. The less contact gold plated items have with chemicals and harsh cleaning product, beauty and hair products, sprays, perfumes and nail polish removers, dishwashing liquids, commercial soaps, chlorine and sweat the longer it will maintain it's gold colour.

When cleaning gold pated items, never use chemical cleaners. We advise soaking your items in a shallow disk with warm water and a small amount of non-chemical soap, rinse well and then leave to dry on a paper towel. A very gentle stroke with a jewellery cloth is Ok to bring back shine, but avoid excessive polishing and rubbing as this can cause the plating to wear.

We highly recommend rotating gold plated jewellery and avoiding the temptation of wearing daily, this way you will be able to enjoy your pieces for a longer period. Please contact us if you would like your Charlotte Penman jewellery re-plated and we can let you know costs and availability.

We use a range of natural gemstones in our jewellery, they therefore can vary in shape, colour, facet and size and may have inclusions, which is part of their natural charm. Gemstones are mostly durable, but can scratch and crack with rough handling, so please handle with care.

To keep your gems sparkling, clean them when dust, soap build-up, and fingerprints have dimmed their brilliance. The best way to clean your gemstone jewellery is to soak in a shallow bowl of warm water with a few drops of a detergent free, mild soap. Use an old toothbrush or other soft brush, scrub gently behind the stone where dust and soap can collect. Then just rinse and lay on some kitchen paper to dry or pat dry with a soft cloth. This method is fine to sue with gold plated items, as long as you avoid scrubbing the metal surface.

Organit gems like amber, lapis lazulite, coral and pearl require special care because they are porous. Make sure you don't expose them to the chemicals in commercial jewellery cleaners as well as hair products, fragrances and cosmetics. Preferably store in a cloth-lined box or pouch and keep them away from other jewellery, which might scratch them. To clean, wimply wipe clean with a soft cloth. If they do get dry or damaged rubbing a little natural oil into their surface can bring back their shine.

To keep your gemstone rings looking brilliant, it is advisable to remove before vigorous exercise or working with your hands. Some gem varieties might be damaged with a sharp blow, so care is needed. When removing your rings, avoid pulling them off by the gemstone, this won't damage the gem but it can - over time - stretch the metal that holds it in place, making the setting less secure.

To protect the beauty of your gemstone jewellery, make sure you store each piece separately

Pearls can lose their lustre if they come into contact with chemicals or too much heat, so it is advisable to apply perfume and beauty products before putting jewellery on. If possible, pearls should be stored separately from other jewellery or items that may scratch their surface. They are best stored in a soft pouch or wrapped in linen or soft cloth.

Pearls need moisture, so avoid storing them in an airtight package or plastic. If the environment is too try, the pearls may crack. Also keep pearls away from hairspray, perfume, cosmetics, chlorine, cleaning products, vinegar and ammonia, as these substances will damage the pearl surface, as can sweat.

*Tip- If you store your pearls in a safety deposit box or are in a hot environment, leave a damp cloth nearby.