Jewelry care

How to keep it looking like the day it arrived

Solid 925 sterling silver and 18K gold plating are made to be worn every day — and they last far longer with a few two-second habits. This is everything we tell our own team.

Solid 925 sterling silver 18K gold plating, 5× thicker than standard 2-year warranty on materials & workmanship

The one rule

Last thing on, first thing off.

Put your jewellery on after perfume, cream and hairspray have dried, and take it off before water, sport and bed. Ninety percent of early wear we see comes from skipping this one habit.

Keep it away from

Water

Showers, baths, pools and the sea. Chlorine and salt attack both silver and plating; even tap water left to dry leaves marks. Take rings off to wash your hands when you can.

Perfume, cream, hairspray

Alcohol and oils dull plating and speed up tarnish on silver. Apply first, let it dry completely, then dress in your jewellery.

Sweat and sport

Sweat is mildly acidic and salty. Gym, running and hot yoga are the fastest way to wear through a plated ring.

Sleeping in it

Eight hours of friction against sheets and skin every night bends slim bands, loosens stones and wears plating at the contact points.

Household chemicals

Cleaning sprays, bleach, hand sanitiser and self-tanner. If you would not put it on bare skin without washing it off, do not put it on your jewellery.

Knocks and pressure

Weights, rowing, cycling on the handlebar and carrying heavy bags by the handle all press on rings. Slip them into a pocket or pouch first.

Cleaning, by material

Two minutes once a month is enough. The method depends on what the piece is made of — and plated pieces need the gentler one.

925 sterling silver

Silver naturally darkens as it reacts with sulphur in the air — this tarnish is a surface film, not damage, and it comes off.

Mix lukewarm water with a drop of mild, unscented dish soap.
Dip a soft cloth or a very soft toothbrush, and work gently along the metal and around the settings.
Rinse briefly, then dry immediately and thoroughly with a lint-free cloth — drying is the step people skip.
For stubborn tarnish, a silver polishing cloth brings back the shine.

Never: toothpaste, baking soda, silver dips or ultrasonic cleaners. They scratch the surface and can loosen stones.

18K gold plated

The gold is a thick layer over solid silver. It does not tarnish, but it is a surface — so cleaning means lifting dirt off, never rubbing the metal.

Wipe with a soft, dry microfibre cloth after wearing to remove skin oils.
When it needs more, use lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap, dab rather than scrub, rinse and pat dry.
Let it air for a few minutes before it goes back in its pouch.

Never: polishing cloths, silver dips, toothbrushes or anything abrasive — they are made to remove a layer, and on a plated piece that layer is the gold.

Stones

Our hand-cut cubic zirconia holds its fire with the same care as the metal around it.

Clean with the soapy water method above; a soft brush lifts the film that builds behind the stone and dulls the sparkle.
Dry around the prongs so no water sits in the setting.
Once a month, hold the ring up to your ear and tap it gently: a stone that is loose will tick. If it does, stop wearing it and write to us.

Never: knock a stone against hard surfaces — the setting, not the stone, is what a knock damages.

Rose gold plated

Rose gold gets its colour from copper in the alloy. It is cared for exactly like yellow gold plating, and it is the finish most sensitive to creams and sweat.

Dry cloth after every wear.
Soapy water only when needed; never abrasives.
Store separately from silver so the two do not rub.

Never: leave it in a bathroom. Humidity does more to rose gold than a year of wearing.

Storing it

Dry first

Never put a piece away damp. A minute of air after cleaning, or a quick wipe after a warm day, prevents most tarnish.

In its pouch

The Balmante pouch or box keeps air and light off the metal. Silver tarnishes slowest in a closed, dry place.

One piece per pouch

Chains scratch bands, prongs catch chains. Give each piece its own space and it stays as it left us.

Not in the bathroom

Humidity is the enemy of both silver and plating. A drawer in the bedroom beats a shelf by the shower every time.

What is normal — and what is not

Jewellery that is worn changes. Most of what people worry about is either normal ageing or fixable at home; a few things are faults we put right under the 2-year warranty.

What you see	What it is	What to do
Silver has gone dull or dark	Normal — tarnish, a surface reaction with the air	Clean as above; a polishing cloth restores it in a minute.
Gold plating looks softer at the edges after months of wear	Normal — plating develops a patina where it rubs	Wear it less in water and sport; this is the character of plated jewellery, not a defect.
Fine scratches on a band	Normal — everyday contact	On silver, a polishing cloth softens them. On plating, leave them.
A slight green mark on the skin	Normal — copper in the alloy reacting with acidic skin, sweat or cream	Wash the finger, let creams dry before wearing, take rings off to wash hands. See our metal sensitivity guide.
Plating lifting or flaking in sheets	Fault	Send us a photo — covered by the warranty.
A stone loose or missing without any knock	Fault	Stop wearing it and open a claim; we repair or replace.
A clasp or post that fails	Fault	Same — photo, claim, we put it right.

Care questions

Can I shower or swim with it on?

Please do not. A single shower will not ruin a piece, but soap film, chlorine and salt build up fast, and plated pieces lose their finish many times faster than pieces kept dry. Two seconds to take it off is the whole secret.

How long does the gold plating last?

It depends almost entirely on habits. Kept away from water, sweat and creams and stored in its pouch, our plating — five times thicker than standard fashion plating — keeps its colour for years. Worn in the shower and the gym, any plating in the world softens within months. Gradual wear is normal; plating that lifts or peels is a fault we cover.

Why did my finger turn slightly green?

Both 925 silver (92.5 % silver, 7.5 % copper) and gold alloys contain a little copper, and copper reacts with acidic skin, sweat and the chemicals in hand cream. It is harmless, washes off, and happens with fine jewellery too. If your skin is very acidic, our natural-finish silver pieces usually behave better than plated ones. More in the metal sensitivity guide.

Can I use a jewellery cleaning machine or a silver dip?

No. Ultrasonic cleaners can loosen stones, and silver dips are acids that strip plating and pit silver. Soapy lukewarm water and a soft cloth do everything you need.

Should I take rings off to wash my hands?

Ideally yes, especially plated rings — soap film dries under the band and dulls the finish. If you cannot, rinse well and dry the ring rather than letting it air-dry.

Is it safe to travel with?

Yes — in its pouch, one piece per pouch, in your hand luggage. Never loose in a washbag next to liquids.

Can Balmante re-plate or repair my piece?

Faults in materials or workmanship are repaired or replaced under the 2-year warranty at no cost. For wear outside the warranty, write to us with a photo — we will tell you honestly whether a repair makes sense or a replacement is the better value.

Not sure whether it is wear or a fault?

Send us a photo. We will tell you straight — and if it is a fault, we sort it under the warranty, postage on us.

Open a warranty claim Ask a care question