How to Care for Your Carrie Elizabeth Jewellery
All of our jewellery is hand made by talented artisans around the World. We are proud that our diamonds, gemstones, and materials are ethically sourced and produced.
The quality of our jewellery is extremely important to us, and we work closely with our jewellers to ensure that the best materials and processes are used for every product. We are committed to improving our sustainability. Along with our 100% recyclable packaging we are working towards using only recycled gold vermeil, solid gold & sterling silver metals for all of our jewellery by 2023, if not before.
This guide will help you to maintain your Carrie Elizabeth pieces for as long as possible. There are many factors that can influence the wear and tear of your jewellery but above all it is important to remember that jewellery is delicate and needs to be looked after carefully so you can enjoy wearing it for many years to come!
Yellow Solid Gold
We recommend choosing this option for any jewellery you wish to wear daily such as Engagement rings and Wedding bands, or any favourite piece you want to hold onto forever! You can easily identify 9k and 14k gold as all pieces are stamped with either “375” or “583”.
Solid gold is more durable than gold vermeil jewellery which has a base of sterling silver, a softer metal.
Solid gold is also advantageous for pieces you wish to wear every day and last a lifetime as they will not require re-plating over time. Solid 9k and 14k gold are alloys comprised of 37.5% and 58.3% pure gold respectively, and other metals including silver, copper, and zinc. The addition of these metals make solid gold far more durable: however, they can make the product susceptible to tarnishing over time. This is not a fault of the product, and the good news is this can be prevented or removed by simply wiping with an anti-tarnish jewellery cleaning cloth. Take a look at our tips below for further details!
Cleaning advice for Solid Gold:
To ensure your gorgeous solid gold jewels continue to gleam we recommend regular cleaning, which can easily be done at home.
Simply add a few drops of mild washing up liquid to a bowl of warm water and soak your solid gold jewellery for about 15 to 30 minutes.
Do not use hot or boiling water, especially if your jewellery contains fragile precious stones. Equally, don't use freezing cold water because any dirt will become harder to remove.
After soaking, gently scrub with a soft-bristle toothbrush (the softer the better!) to remove any hidden grime lodged in nooks and crannies.
Next, rinse each piece in warm running water to remove any remaining dirt.
Finally, lightly blot dry with a soft cloth and let the jewellery sit out on a towel to air dry completely before wearing.
White Solid Gold
It’s important to remember that although white gold is a white metal, it naturally has a slight yellow tone to it, since it is made from gold but mixed with light coloured alloys such as palladium.
Once a piece of white gold jewellery has been made, it’s dipped in a rhodium solution to give it it’s bright white mirror finish which resembles platinum. The rhodium plating also protects the gold underneath from shallow scratches. Over time the Rhodium plating on White Gold jewellery can start to fade but we can re-plate this for you for free whilst your item is within warranty.
Tips on caring for your Solid Gold:
1: As it’s a soft metal, solid gold can be susceptible to bumps, scratches, and dents. Be mindful whilst wearing and always remove when playing sport.
2: Take your jewellery off before getting in a pool or spa as exposure to chlorine will react with the rhodium plating.
3: Household cleaners with acids or abrasives, can cause damage. We recommend using rubber gloves or removing your jewellery whilst cleaning.
4: Put your jewellery on last when getting ready as makeup, perfume, hairspray, and lotions, eg self tanning products can cause damage.
5: White Gold : Please remove rings when washing and sanitising your hands and do not wear your jewellery in the bath or shower as a build-up of products will leave a soapy film on the gold and dull its shine as well as harming the rhodium plating.
6: White Gold : Minimise wearing white gold rings alongside other rings as the friction can cause the plating to wear off quicker.
7: White Gold : It’s recommended that white gold rings be re-plated every couple of years, so they keep their bright white shine. However, if you work with your hands or come into contact with chemicals often, this may need to be done more often. Other pieces of white gold jewellery such as necklaces will not need re-plating as often, since the rhodium plating won’t be worn away as fast.
8: Although Solid Gold is made to last a lifetime we would always advise wearing solid gold chains with care due to their delicate nature. While they offer resilience, they're not indestructible and applying excessive force could result in a break
Gold Vermeil
Gold Vermeil (pronounced ver-mey) is Sterling Silver which has been coated with 2.5 microns of 14k gold plate (which means its super thick and longer lasting!). It strikes the perfect balance of high quality at an affordable price – ideal for a taste of “affordable luxury”!
Gold Vermeil is far more durable than other gold-plated options and can last for years. However, if worn continuously (especially rings) the gold plate can start to wear away after 6 months. In this instance, we will not be able to offer a refund as this is not a fault in the product, but rather the nature of wear and tear.
We offer a re-plating service at a small fee, please contact hello@carrieelizabeth.co.uk for more details.
Tips on caring for your Gold Vermeil:
1: Remove jewellery when washing your hands, showering, or swimming because water and chemicals (especially chlorine) can affect the longevity of the gold plating.
This is especially important for rings, as they suffer wear and tear much more than other jewellery types since we use our hands for everything we do.
2: Put your jewellery on last when getting ready as makeup, perfume, hairspray, and lotions eg self tanning products, can affect the beauty and shine of your Gold Vermeil.
3: To clean your jewellery and restore its shine we recommend that you use a jewellery cleaning cloth to gently rub the surface.
Do not use a polishing agent, silver polishing cloth or abrasive liquids as these will wear away the layers of gold.
Please be aware with our Spinning Rings, the nature of this product may cause the plating to wear away quicker than usual. If this does occur, please contact our customer service team and we can re-plate your ring free of charge if within our one-year warranty period.
Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver is an alloy made up of 92.5% pure Silver and 7.5% Copper. This alloy is used for jewellery making as it is far more durable than pure silver alone. You can easily identify Sterling Silver as all pieces are stamped with “925” (Gold Vermeil also has this stamp as it is Sterling Silver coated with a thick gold plate).
The nature of Sterling Silver is that it can oxidise when it comes into contact with air and so Gold Vermeil and Silver jewellery can both be prone to tarnishing. This is not a fault and can be easily remedied. We recommend gently rubbing your jewellery with a specialised jewellery cleaning cloth to restore its shine and keep it looking at its best.
Top tips for caring for your Sterling Silver:
1: As it’s a soft metal, silver can be susceptible to bumps, scratches, and dents. Be mindful whilst wearing and always remove when playing sport.
2: Take your jewellery off before getting in a swimming pool or spa as exposure to chlorine will cause the silver to tarnish. The higher the temperature of the water, the faster and more severe the tarnishing process will be, and a silver piece of jewellery can become completely tarnished extremely quickly under these circumstances.
3: Household cleaners with acids or abrasives, will damage your jewellery’s finish and will likely cause the silver to tarnish. We recommend using rubber gloves or removing your jewellery whilst cleaning.
4: Put your jewellery on last when getting ready as makeup, perfume, hairspray, and lotions eg self tanning products, can damage the appearance of the silver causing it to lose its shine.
5: Please remove rings when washing and sanitising your hands and do not wear your jewellery in the bath or shower as a build-up of products will leave a soapy film on the silver and reduce its shine.
Gold Plated
Gold Plated is when the Brass or Sterling Silver base layer has been coated with 0.5 – 1 microns of 14k gold plate. It’s stronger and more durable than solid gold which makes it a great choice for our chunkier statement pieces!
Using the highest quality materials and processes, Gold Plating can last for years. However, if worn continuously, the gold plate can start to wear away after 6 months. In this instance, we will not be able to offer a refund as this is not a fault in the product, but rather the nature of wear and tear.
We offer a re-plating service at a small fee, please contact hello@carrieelizabeth.co.uk for more details.
Top tips for caring for your Gold Plated Brass and Sterling Silver items:
1: Remove jewellery when washing and sanitising your hands, showering, or swimming. Water and chemicals (especially chlorine) can affect the longevity of the gold plating.
2: Put your jewellery on last when getting ready as makeup, perfume, hairspray, and lotions eg self tanning products can affect the beauty and shine of your Gold Plating.
3: To clean your jewellery and restore its shine we recommend using an untreated jewellery polishing cloth. Do not use a polishing agent or abrasive liquids as these will wear away the layers of gold.
Gemstones
We pride ourselves on the quality and beauty of our semi-precious gemstones, all produced in the largest stone cutting and polishing centre of the world, Jaipur! Each gemstone is expertly cut from rocks (known as “roughs”) which are sourced from all over the world!
All our semi-precious gemstones are completely natural meaning that each stone is unique to you! There can be variations in colour and pattern within our stones, however we feel that this just adds to their natural beauty. Because each stone is completely natural, stones may vary in appearance and will not always completely match the stone pictured.
If a stone has a mix of colour, the one you receive may be predominately more one colour than another.
Top tips for caring for your Gemstones:
1: Do not keep jewellery in direct sunlight and remove it whilst sunbathing. Extreme temperatures and strong UV rays can cause gemstones to fade in colour and shine.
2: Remove jewellery when washing and sanitising your hands, showering, or swimming because water and chemicals (especially chlorine) can dull and irreversibly damage gemstones.
3: Be mindful of any knocks or bumps when wearing semi-precious gemstones and always remove jewellery when exercising.
As all Gemstones have such unique properties, we've put together seperate guides for some of our most popular stones...
Pearls
Put your pearl jewellery on last to prevent contact with cosmetics, hairspray, perfumes, and lotions eg self tanning products, which may damage pearls.
Pearls are prone to scratches from other materials so we recommend storing storing your pearls away from other jewelllery. Pearls are sensitive to chemicals like chlorine, so never wear your pearl jewellery in swimming pools, hot tubs or even in the shower.
Clean pearls with a damp soft cloth. Never clean your pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner or with a jewellery polishing cloth. Pearls benefit from being worn, the natural oils from your skin adding to their lustre - so wear your pearl jewellery often!
Opals
Opals should not come into contact with water so please remove opal jewellery when washing and sanitising your hands, showering, exercising or swimming. Opals naturally contain water and the amount of water in an opal can fluctuate, based on factors such as humidity, heat, sweat, and contact with water. Exposure to any of these can cause the opal to become dull and lose their play of colour.
Do not store opal jewellery in the bathroom. The humidity created from the shower can cause opal to lose it's colour. Do not clean opal jewellery in an ultrasonic cleaner. The water, high temperature and vibrations will irreversibly damage the stone.
Diamonds
The hardest known natural material, diamonds derive their name from the ancient Greek αδάμας meaning “unbreakable”!
However, beware, diamonds can still chip from a hard fall or impact, so take special care when wearing and ensure to keep them safely stored away in their original jewellery box.
To keep your diamonds in sparkling condition we recommend regular cleaning. Use lukewarm water with mild washing up liquid and a very soft toothbrush (the softer the better) to gently clean away any dirt and grime. Then rinse (again in lukewarm water), blot dry and leave to air dry before wearing or storing.
Enamel
As with all jewellery, enamel jewellery is delicate, and the enamel can be prone to chipping or fading if not handled with care. Do not let your enamel jewellery come into contact with perfumes, cosmetics, hairspray, or lotions eg self tanning products, which will all interfere with the integrity of the enamel.
Try to prevent exposing your enamel jewellery to direct heat where possible; such as hair dryers or direct sunlight for long periods of time as intense heat can unsettle the enamel.
Never wear your enamel jewellery in swimming pools, hot tubs or even in the shower as chemicals such as chlorine will affect the enamel. Please remove your enamel jewellery when cleaning, exercising, or carrying out manual labour. Clean your enamel jewellery using a soft toothbrush with warm water and a mild washing up liquid. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
Do not clean enamel jewellery in an ultrasonic cleaner, with liquid jewellery cleaners or jewellery polishing cloths which are impregnated with chemicals.
Vintage
Please be mindful when buying from our vintage releases, that these items are authentic vintage pieces, meaning they are pre-owned and not ‘new’. We believe this makes each piece unique and adds to its character!
All Carrie Elizabeth vintage pieces are hand selected by Carrie herself, who has a passion and an eye for beautiful vintage jewellery. Each piece is carefully evaluated, and the metal, stones and settings are assessed. Even so, all vintage items should be worn and handled with care as their age makes them more delicate.
All our vintage pieces have a 12-month warranty, but please note this warranty will be void if the item is adjusted in anyway, e.g., re-sizing carried out by an external jeweller.
Vintage Warranty:
All our vintage pieces have a 12-month warranty, but please note this warranty will be void if the item is adjusted in anyway, e.g., re-sizing carried out by an external jeweller.
Re-sizing Vintage Pieces:
Please be aware that not all our vintage rings will be suitable for re-sizing, and where a re-size is possible, there will be limitations, to ensure the integrity and structure of the ring is maintained.
This will be determined case to case.
In most cases we will recommend re-sizing up or down by one size only.
If you would like to discuss a possible re-size of your vintage ring, please get in touch via hello@carrieelizabeth.co.uk.
Standard Warranty:
Every piece of Carrie Elizabeth Jewellery bought directly from our website is covered by a 12-month warranty upon receipt of a valid proof of purchase.
Our products are very delicate, therefore occasionally a fault may appear with an item.
If this happens with your purchase, please get in touch with us via hello@carrieelizabeth.co.uk and include your order number, description of the fault and images of the faulty product.
Storing your jewellery...
Store your treasured pieces safely in a dry, fabric lined jewellery box (your original Carrie Elizabeth box is perfect!) or a soft fabric pouch.
If possible, store each piece individually to prevent any tangling or scratching.
If you intend to store your jewellery for a long time without wearing, please wrap it in an airtight bag within your jewellery box to help ward off tarnishing!
Please direct any further queries on Materials and Care to our Customer Service Team.
Reach them at hello@carrieelizabeth.co.uk and they will be happy to assist you.