Care

The thread is the weak point, not the stone

The stone will outlast you. The silk will not.

Hand-dyed silk holds a knot beautifully and hates three things: chlorine, salt water, and being pulled while wet. Take the piece off before a pool, an ocean, a hot shower. A splash at the sink is nothing — a soak is what shortens its life.

Amber is softer than it looks

Amber is a resin, not a stone, and it is soft enough to scratch against a car key. It also does not get along with alcohol, so put your perfume, hairspray and hand sanitiser on first and let them dry before the piece goes on. This is the one material here that asks for a little care.

Cleaning

A dry cloth, occasionally. Nothing else. No jewellery dip, no ultrasonic cleaner, no toothpaste — they are made for metal and they will strip the dye and dull the stone.

Storage

Flat, dry, out of direct sun, and not in a heap with other jewellery. Sun fades hand-dyed silk faster than anything else you will do to it. The pouch it arrived in is the right place.

Wear changes it

The silk will soften and darken slightly where it sits against you. Matte stone picks up a low shine at the points that touch skin most. This is the material recording that it was worn, and it is not damage.

If it breaks

Silk gives out eventually — that is what silk does. Email us and we will tell you whether it is worth restringing and what it costs. Do not throw it away; the stones are almost always fine.