Maintain my KAYA Jewelry

With KAYA jewelry we use the most beautiful materials, real silver with possibly a gold-plated layer. All silver or gold ladies jewelry has an E-coating for a warm color, long-lasting protection and the prevention of discoloration as much as possible. Unfortunately, it can happen that the jewelry becomes discolored or dull. We therefore have a number of tips on how to best handle your favorite jewelry!

Help, my silver jewelry is turning black!

The discoloration of silver jewelry is called oxidation. This is a natural process that occurs with silver. This can cause it to turn brown or black. Silver jewelry discolors quickly for some people, never for others. This mainly depends on the pH value of your skin and what you use for perfume, body lotion, deodorant, etc. Discoloration of silver jewelry is something that belongs to real silver. Depending on how dirty the jewelry is, there are plenty of options for cleaning silver jewelry. With every order at KAYA you get a free silver polishing cloth. This is an easy way to keep the jewelry beautiful. But there are also other options:

• With silver polish. You can buy this at the drugstore. You can clean the jewelry with the brush with a soft cloth. And the jewelry is as good as new.
• With salt and water. Make a mixture of warm water and salt. Wrap your jewelry in a thin layer of silver foil. Soak it in the mixture overnight. Remove the jewelry from the foil again, rub it with a soft cloth and voilà !
• With toothpaste. Put a little bit of toothpaste on a toothbrush and rub it gently over the jewelry. After rinsing and drying, your jewelry will shine like never before.

Discoloration of gold-plated jewelry

At KAYA we make 18 carat gold plated jewelry. Gold plated means that the jewelry is not completely (rose) gold. The base of the jewelry is .925 Sterling Silver and a layer of gold is applied over this. The look is just like real gold, but a lot more affordable! Only drawback: the layer of gold can unfortunately start to wear off after a while. For some customers this never happens and for others after a few weeks. This is again very dependent on the pH value of the skin. In addition, it is important to take good care of the jewelry. Wearing the jewelry in the shower and using certain cosmetic products can accelerate the discoloration.

Vulnerable natural products such as freshwater pearls

Pearls are a natural product. The surface of a pearl is not as hard as that of a gemstone. Substances such as sweat, hairspray, deodorants, cosmetics, etc. can damage the surface of the pearl. Water can also damage pearl jewelry. Therefore, take off the pearl jewelry when showering.

KAYA jewelry is engraved by hand

Many jewelry companies have their jewelry produced in a factory by the hundreds. These often get a layer of rhodium, a thin protective layer over the jewelry. This also wears out over time, but until then it protects the jewelry from scratches and blackening.

At KAYA Jewelry we engrave most jewelry by hand, so that the jewelry does not contain this Rhodium layer. In the long run you will therefore see some signs of use on the jewelry. We believe that our jewelry comes to life when worn!

4 tips to prevent discoloration of jewelry

It is of course a shame not to wear a piece of jewelry anymore due to dullness or discolouration. That is why it is important to take good care of the jewelry. We have some tips for this!

• Try to put on your jewelry last in the morning. So only after you have showered and applied deo, perfume, body lotion, etc. These agents can discolor jewelry. For the same reasons, your jewelry is the first thing you take off at night.
  
  
• We recommend that you do not wear the jewelry while bathing, in bed or while exercising. So do not leave your jewelry on overnight and keep it well in a closed box. Silver takes on a brown/black color after a certain time due to exposure to light and air. You can easily store the jewelry in our luxurious KAYA Jewelry box that you get with the jewelry.
  
  
• The acidity of your skin also influences how long the jewelry lasts. Do you know that the acidity of your skin is very high? Try not to wear the jewelry 24/7, that way they will last longer!
  
  
• Would it be discolored? With the included silver polishing cloth, or with the tips mentioned earlier in this blog, you can make the jewelry shiny again and as good as new.

KAYA offers a 3-month warranty against fading. But if you treat the jewelry with love, for example with the supplied silver polishing cloth and the KAYA Jewelry box, that will certainly not be necessary.