Every piece of Cathy Pope jewellery is handmade so it needs to be looked after carefully. Always protect your jewellery from sharp blows, scratching, chemicals, sunlight and heat/cold.

• Store your jewellery in a soft lined jewellery box or pouches. Try to keep pieces apart so they don’t rub together.
• Jewellery doesn't like moisture so avoid damp areas for your jewellery storage.
• Place a piece of chalk or moisture absorber (Damp Rid) inside the jewellery box to absorb any moisture.
• Clean your jewellery regularly, using a professional jewellery cleaning product. Always read the manufacturers instructions.
• Never go swimming wearing your jewellery, chlorine in swimming pools can cause damage to all metals and will erode gold jewellery.
• Avoid wearing while cleaning, gardening or performing sports activities as perspiration will affect the plating.
• Be aware of tarnish which may occur as a result of oxidation, caused by the interaction of silver or gold plated jewellery with certain elements such as oxygen or sulphur as well as with certain acids.

STERLING SILVER
Keep silver jewellery away from harsh chemicals like household cleaning fluids as they create abrasions and reduce the lustre of the metal. Cleaning silver jewellery is best done with a professional jewellery cleaning product. Thoroughly dry your silver jewellery after exposure to water.

GOLD VERMEIL

Gold plated specifically uses gold as the layer on the outside. The thickness of the gold layer on the outside of gold plated jewellery can vary greatly; between .5 microns and 2.5 microns. At Cathy Pope we use 2 microns on top of our sterling silver chains.

With gold vermeil jewellery, the base metal used has to be sterling silver, which is much better for those who have skin allergies to other base metals. Gold vermeil uses a minimum of 2 microns of gold plating. We use 14k (lighter) and 18k gold (brighter). The silver is then gold-plated, but with a thicker coating, often as much as 50% thicker than a traditional gold-plated piece. While less expensive than solid gold jewellery, using this technique is still more expensive than either gold-plated or gold-filled, as the price of gold and sterling silver brings the cost up a bit.

Over time gold vermeil will rub off and fade a bit, especially more so when it’s rubbing against surfaces. This is normal wear and tear.  

Keep gold jewellery away from harsh chemicals like household cleaning fluids as they create abrasions and reduce the lustre of the metal. Cleaning gold plated jewellery is best done with warm water and detergent free soap. Thoroughly dry your jewellery after exposure to water. Read more on gold plating here.

GOLD FILLED

Gold filled jewellery is created by pressure bonding an actual layer of gold to another metal. Although a gold filled piece of jewellery is not sold gold, it has the same desirable properties and look of solid gold. The base metal is often bronze and not necessarily silver as this would drive the price up. The value and quality is in the thick layer of gold. 

It won’t tarnish and will not rub off or turn colors. Wearers who are sensitive to certain metals can wear gold filled without worries of an allergic reaction. Although the layer of gold in gold filled pieces varies depending on the manufacturer it is in all cases significantly thicker than regular gold plating. Gold filled accessories can be worn even daily without fear of fading or rubbing off for many cases as long as 30 years.

Read more on gold filled here. 

STAINLESS STEEL

Stainless steel is strong and durable. You can wear it every day and keep doing all your normal and heavy duty tasks without worrying about damaging it. The silver colour is the base metal so no colour is applied making it tough and it won't ever change colour. Our yellow and rose gold plated chains take more care and the colour has been vacuum plated onto the base metal to a very high standard Taken care of the colour should remain for years to come and through a lot of wear and tear. 

Frequent cleaning is recommended to maintain its beauty.  Wipe your jewellery carefully with a soft dry cloth to keep it clean and free of elements which oxidise.  

STORAGE 

Good storage is vital to keep your jewellery and crystals looking their best. I recommend a covered jewellery box, free from natural light and moisture that can oxidise and tarnish metals. If you want your jewellery to last, it's really important not to keep it in the bathroom or wear it swimming or showering. Gemstones also don’t like temperature changes and can crack when exposed to extreme hot and cold so never wear your jewellery when you're washing dishes!