HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR JEWELLERY

STORAGE

Store your jewellery in a clean, dry place away from natural sunlight, humidity and heat. Each piece should be stored individually to avoid scratching.

Be sure to let your pieces breathe every now and then. Storing them in a box for extended periods of time will encourage the natural oxidisation process of all metals.

COSMETICS AND MOISTURE

Avoid contact with chemicals, perfumes, moisturisers, suncreams, chlorine and salt water.

We recommend you take your pieces off before exercising, showering and swimming, keeping your pieces dry at all times.

CLEANING

We suggest after each wear that you wipe your pieces with a dry jewellery cloth or soft cotton wool. You can use a jewellery polishing cloth if your pieces have become dull to bring back the shine. Do not apply too much pressure as this can encourage removal of the plating coat.

BEADS

Take extra care when wearing and storing any delicate pieces such as our beaded range.

Avoid exposure to heat and moisture, refraining from keeping beads in direct sunlight. If beads get wet, dry them immediately. Do not use any jewellery cleaners or polishing cloths on these items.

MATERIAL INFORMATION

All of our jewels are crafted from bases of brass or 925 sterling silver. Each piece is plated with a thick layer of 18kt gold plating.

GOLD PLATING

All One Mile Studio Jewellery is plated with 18kt yellow gold as our signature polished finish.

We use anything above 1.5 microns of gold for our plating to ensure longevity. Please note that longevity of plating is different for different people. Some people have varying levels of chemicals and / or acid in their sweat and on their skin. This affects how long the layer of gold lasts on the piece of jewellery.

BEADED GEMSTONE JEWELLERY

We use authentic gemstone beads for all of our beaded jewellery. The beads we use are sourced locally from our suppliers in India as well as from Brazil and Africa. They are purchased as rough gemstones so that skilled artisans can cut the stones by hand for each specific design.

TARNISHING

Tarnishing is a fine layer of discolouration that can cover the top of a metal surface. This occurs due to oxidisation - when a substance is exposed to oxygen.

Oxidisation appears naturally with time. It causes the metal's chemical composition to change, resulting in a reaction where discolouration becomes present on outer layers of certain metals. This does not cause any long term damage and can be cleaned with a polishing cloth or soft cotton wool.

All metals oxidise naturally with time which requires maintenance. It is encouraged by lack of care and exposure specifically to oils and acidity. e.g. use of perfumes, moisturisers, suncream, salt water etc.

Every person's skin varies in PH levels. the oils in your skin may be higher in acidity than others which can cause your jewellery to tarnish more rapidly. Due to this, we strongly recommend you lightly clean each piece after wear to remove any unwanted chemicals.

BRASS

Brass is made from an alloy of copper and zinc. The longevity of brass can be undermined due to exposure to moisture, acidity and various chemicals e.g. deodorant, perfume, skin products.

When exposed to water and soap, brass can oxidise and temporarily discolour. Items of jewellery with a brass base may possibly turn the skin green due to the copper composition in the alloy.

COPPER + OXYGEN + HUMIDITY (from sweat through skin) = OXIDISATION

PLEASE NOTE - when copper oxidises with the acid and moisture on the skin, this can create copper chloride, the green tinge on your skin. If you wear a piece containing copper for an extended period of time, your body will adapt and the green will stop - This is NOT harmful and non-toxic to the body.

TIPS TO AVOID: Keep jewellery in a constantly clean state, ensure skin is always dry, remove before showering, sleeping and exercising, avoid wearing on hot days, avoid interactions with perfumes, lotions and other cosmetic products.

PACKAGING

We use oxo-biodegradable zip lock bags as part of our jewellery packaging to help fight damage or defects before it arrives at your doorstep! We use this zip bags as an alternative to conventional plastic in order to keep the pieces airtight. They are reusable and recyclable with soft-plastic recycling.

We do not recommend keeping your One Mile jewels stored in the box with the lid on for pro-longed amounts of time as this prevents airflow, causing oxidisation. Be sure to let your pieces breathe to avoid discolouration.