Jewelry Care

Please treat your Delza pieces with care, as you would any with any fine jewelry or cherished object. Good storage and cleaning practices go a long way in the longevity of your jewelry. 

Our best care recommendations: 

  • Keep your jewelry dry and away from chemicals, cleaning, and beauty products.
  • Wipe your piece after use and store in a non-humid environment, preferably a jewelry box, plastic baggie, or airtight container.
  • Do not wear your jewelry in the shower, bath, pool/hot tub, or ocean.
  • Remove jewelry before heavy exercise or other activities that can damage your piece

Learn more about our metals and the ways we clean them:

Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver (aka .925 silver) is an alloy of fine silver and another metal, usually copper. Delza uses US-made sterling silver from recycled materials whenever possible. 


The copper in sterling silver makes it strong and suitable for jewelry, but also makes it prone to tarnishing.


To clean sterling silver jewelry
, wash it with warm water and mild soap. Dry completely, then gently buff with a jewelry polishing cloth. We recommend Sunshine polishing cloths.


You might also use commercial or homemade jewelry cleansers, but please avoid contact with stones, plated chains, and gold-fill or plated areas that may be contained in your piece. These solutions may be too harsh on those materials. 


Oxidized sterling silver:
Some silver pieces have been treated with a special solution to create an aged look. This darkened effect may fade over time as you handle and wear your jewelry. 


To clean oxidized sterling silver, very lightly and gently buff with a jewelry polishing pad or other soft cloth. Take care not to remove the darkened finish. Avoid commercial solutions and cleaners, as they will prematurely strip the oxidation. 


Want to re-oxidized your piece?
Get in touch for our rates. 

14k Gold-Fill

Gold-fill is created using a special heat and pressure process to bond 14K gold to a base metal core. Gold-fill is naturally tarnish resistant and won’t flake or fade. This makes it an affordable alternative to solid 14K gold. The layer of gold is also thicker and more durable than many gold-plated items.


To clean gold-fill jewelry,
wash it with warm water and mild soap, then dry it completely. Gently polish with a soft cloth.


Please note:
Delza’s gold-fill pieces are hand fabricated from 14K gold-fill wires and sheets. Torch soldering is used on some of these styles. During this process, miniscule amounts of the base metal core may become exposed in those areas. There is no added nickel in gold-fill materials, but those who are extremely sensitive to other base metals may experience harmless and temporary staining or allergic reactions, though we’ve found this to be very rare. 

Brass

Brass is a metal alloy made of copper and zinc. All raw, un-plated brass will naturally develop a surface patina over time. This is a normal reaction to oxygen and other elements in the environment. 


For best care, wipe your brass jewelry down after wear and never let it stay wet. Keep brass pieces dry to avoid water stains on your piece.


Many people love the warm, aged look of oxidized brass, but there are ways to maintain a brighter finish if that’s your preference. For general cleaning, gently polish your piece with a jewelry polishing cloth. We like Sunshine brand polishing cloths. They contain polishing compounds that help restore a clean, shiny finish.


For larger brass surfaces or heavy tarnishing, try Bon Ami, Bar Keeper’s Friend, or Brasso.


These common commercial cleaners are great for heavily tarnished pieces and those with larger surface area. Follow the instructions for each product. Take care not to scrub chains, stones, or sterling silver portions of the piece. 


Learn more on our FAQ page: 

DOES YOUR BRASS JEWELRY TARNISH? HOW CAN I PREVENT THIS?

WILL BRASS STAIN MY FINGERS?


If you need help restoring your raw brass jewelry, we can often refinish your piece for a small fee. Get in touch for more info. 

Mixed Metals

Delza’s mixed metal pieces typically contain sterling silver and brass or sterling silver and 14k gold-fill. To clean, follow the same care advice for sterling silver or brass, BUT avoid polishing cloths that contain jewelry cleansing compounds and commercial cleansers on plated chains and any gold-fill areas of your piece. 

14k Gold Vermeil

Vermeil (pronouced "ver-may") jewelry is made of sterling silver with a durable layer of gold electroplated onto the surface. To legally qualify as vermeil, the gold layer must be 10K or higher and at least 2.5 mircons thick.


Delza’s vermeil jewelry is slightly thicker at 3 mircons and with a little more gold content at 14k.


Vermeil brings the look of solid gold at a much lower price. We order all of our gold vermeil pieces nickel-free, so they're hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. With proper care, vermeil jewelry can last many years!


To clean, wash with mild soap and water and gently pat dry with a non-abrasive cloth. Do not use jewelry cleansers or polishing cloths with compounds on vermeil jewelry.

14k Gold Plate

Similar to our gold vermeil jewelry, our 14k gold plated pieces are created via an electro-chemical process, where gold is plated onto a base material. Unless otherwise stated in the product description, the core material is usually brass or brass and sterling silver. 


We order nickel-free gold plating so these pieces are safer for sensitive skin. The layer of gold is 3 microns thick, giving it a more durable and lasting finish. Our gold-plated pieces can last many years with proper care.


To clean, wash with mild soap and water and gently pat dry with a non-abrasive cloth. Do not use jewelry cleansers or polishing cloths with compounds on gold-plated jewelry.

Stone Care

Some Delza pieces contain stones that are sourced, while others feature stones or inlays that we cut, form, and polish using traditional lapidary techniques. 


Stones have different levels of hardness and sensitivity (see Moh’s Hardness scale). Harder stones, such as agates and jaspers, can tolerate a bit more than softer stones, like turquoise, opal, lapis or pearl. 


You’ll want to be more mindful with softer stones, as they can be more porous and sensitive to pressure, heat, and chemicals. Avoid prolonged direct exposure to high temps, sunlight, chemicals, or chlorinated water. Be careful of scratching or cracking stones during wear. Store jewelry containing stones in such a way that they will not be dinged or scratched by harder materials. 


To clean, wash with water and mild soap. Dry thoroughly. Do not clean the stones with jewelry cleansers or compounds (including polishing cloths with compounds) that are made for metal. 

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