The long and short of it
- Stay away from harsh chemicals
- Avoid contact with hot water
- Stay off the tools
- Be mindful when training
- Put your jewellery on last
Taking care of demi- fine jewellery
Look after your Merchants pieces and they will look after you. Solid recycled 925 sterling silver is built for daily wear — but a little care keeps it looking its best.
Our pieces are considered demi-fine jewellery, meaning they need a little bit of extra TLC. We use high-grade 925 sterling silver and 3.5 micron gold vermeil, both of which are soft, ductile and malleable metals. With this in mind AVOID wearing during any intense work or activity and always store in a safe place. Other activities may include (taken from actual customer use cases.
- using hammers and handheld tools
- lifting heavy weights
- drumming your hands on objects (tables, benchtops, car dashboards etc.)
- bartending and hitting your hands on cocktail shakers
- dropping your ring from above head height
- cycling and gripping moving objects
- bare knuckle boxing/fighting
- excessive fist bumps (try to control yourself, you know).
Water Safety
We recommend taking your pieces off before swimming, showering or exercising. Saltwater, chlorine, sweat and perfume speed up tarnish and can dull stones and gold vermeil — and damage from chemical exposure isn’t covered by our lifetime craftsmanship warranty. If you do get caught in a salty dip, rinse in fresh water and dry thoroughly.
Keep it mind that temperature can change the size of your hands, so keep an eye on your rings during the colder months so you don't lose them in the surf. A handy tip to aso keep in mind if you can't get a ring off!
Embellishments
Merchants of the sun doesn't hesitate from exploring different embelishments to our jewellery, some being that of fresh water pearls, natural stones and enamel.
The addition of these ebelishments to a jewellery piece can call for extra care.
Although completely water safe, we recommend taking your more precious pieces off while showering, washing your hands or using heat dryers as heat is a main cause to damages. Please do not get your stone resized as it may crack or distort the setting. Avoid harsh chemicals and clean using our soft polishing cloth and lukewarm water as necessary.
Oxidisation & Tarnishing
As simple as it might sound, wearing your jewellery will keep your piece from oxidising over time, thanks to the natural oils in your skin which actually prevent tarnishing. In the case that it does need a little love, each product you purchase from Merchants will come with a complimentary polish cloth, made from soft cotton and infused with polishing elements to restore the shine and reduce discolouration of your pieces.
To ensure your pieces stand the test of time, store all jewellery in an airtight bag or container and away from direct sunlight while not in use.
Whether you're wearing them daily or not, we recommend cleaning your pieces with our specialised cloth to breathe some life back into the surface of the metal. Be gentle and remain mindful of how rough you are, as pressure can warp the shape or appearance of your jewellery.
Cuffs and bracelets
Ensure you only adjust your cuff ONCE when you first receive it, and avoid constantly changing the size/shape once you have the correct fit. You shouldn’t need to adjust your cuff every time you are putting it on or removing it for the day.