Product Care Guide.

S925 Sterling Silver

What is S925 Sterling Silver?

When you see a small stamp that says ‘S925’ on your jewellery, it means your jewellery was made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals such as copper. By combining silver with other metals, it gives the jewellery the desirable shine, strength and durability. 100% silver alone would be too soft to wear as a jewellery. When properly cared for, S925 Sterling Silver can last a long time and can be passed on for many generations.

Care guide:

The addition of other metals, such as copper, is what makes S925 Sterling Silver ideally stronger and more durable. However, these metals are also susceptible to tarnishing. While you cannot prevent this natural process, you can slow it down with proper care.

• While water doesn’t harm your S925 Sterling Silver, it can accelerate the tarnishing process. It is recommended to keep S925 Sterling Silver out of water. Taking your jewellery off before activities such as showering, bathing, swimming, gardening, cooking or doing other household chores will help slow down the tarnishing process. Remember rubber or latex gloves contain sulphur which can also cause silver to tarnish.
• That being said, warm water and mind soap are also a known classic combination used for cleaning jewellery. When you need to clean your S925 Sterling Silver jewellery, simply soak it in the solution for a few minutes and dry completely with a soft jewellery cloth. 
• Chemicals and sweat can also speed up the tarnishing process of S925 Sterling Silver. Consider taking off your S925 jewellery before coming in contact with household chemicals, perfume, hair spray, skincare products or before exercising.
• Wearing your S925 Sterling Silver regularly can also help slow down the tarnishing process as the natural oil on your skin helps keep the jewellery clean and shine. Follow the guidelines above about what to avoid.
• When not wearing, you can protect your S925 Sterling Silver by limiting excessive exposure to air, sunlight, heat, moisture and humidity. Store your jewellery in an airtight container,  jewellery box, ziplock bag or cloth bag in a cool, dry and dark place.

Plated Jewellery

 

Gold plated on S925 Sterling Silver

Gold plating refers to a coating of pure gold on a base metal such as copper, brass, or sterling silver. At Ruby’s Ambition, we have a wide range of gold plated on S925 Sterling Silver. 'Gold plated S925 Sterling Silver' means that the base metal is made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metal, such as copper. The layer of gold was then coated on the S925 Sterling Silver base. The benefit of gold plating on S925 Sterling Silver is to give an alternative choice of colour, and because S925 Sterling Silver is a high quality material for jewellery, it makes a great choice as a base metal to have pure gold plated on. 

Silver or gold plated on other metals

Pure silver or gold is also often plated or coated on other types of base metals such as copper, brass, titanium, stainless steel or aluminium. Silver or gold plated jewellery can be beautiful, strong and affordable. While titanium, stainless steel and aluminium alone will not tarnish, the silver or gold plating can wear off over time. With proper care, silver or gold plated jewellery can last for a long time. 

Rose gold plated

The difference between ‘rose gold’ and ‘rose gold plated’ is that, ‘rose gold’ is a gold alloy made of 75% gold and 25% copper and silver, while ‘rose gold plated’ is made of other base metal that was coated with a mixture of gold, copper and silver to give an appearance of rose gold. The base metals of ‘rose gold plated’ can be copper, brass, titanium, stainless steel, aluminium or S925 Sterling Silver. At Ruby's Ambition, we often choose S925 Sterling Silver as our base metal for our plated jewellery collections. 

Care guide for plated jewellery:

• Avoid having your jewellery come in contact for a long period of time with water, liquid or chemicals. Make sure to take off your jewellery before activities such as showing, bathing, swimming, gardening, cooking and doing other household chores.
• Sweat, perfumes, and skin care products can also wear off your plated jewellery. Make sure to take off your jewellery before exercising or putting on perfume, hairspray and/or other skin care products.
• Avoid excessive cleaning or polishing of your plated jewellery. If you need to clean them, use a solution of warm water and mild soap, soak the jewellery for a few minutes, then dry gently with a soft cloth. You can also gently wipe your jewellery with cotton balls or a soft cloth after every use. 
• Store your jewellery in a cool, dry and dark place in an airtight container, jewellery box, ziplock bag or cloth bag. Ideally individually or with the same type of metals/plating.

Titanium, Stainless Steel & Aluminium

 

Sometimes you may come across jewellery made of titanium, stainless steel or aluminium at Ruby's Ambition. The benefit of using these metal types in jewellery is that they don't rust or tarnish. Titanium and stainless steel also have high resistance to bending, cracking and scratching, while aluminium is shiny and very light in weight. They are all strong and durable, an ideal metal to be used in modern jewellery design. 

Care guide:

• Titanium, stainless steel and aluminium are extremely high-resistant to corrosion and won't react to water. However, if your titanium, stainless steel or aluminium jewellery is plated or combined with other type of jewellery materials such as cubic zirconia, please also follow the care guide for those specific types of plating/jewellery materials. 
• Clean your titanium, stainless steel or aluminium jewellery regularly in a solution of warm water and mild soap. Dry them with a soft cloth before storing away in a soft pouch or jewellery bag, ideally individually.

Cubic Zirconia

 

Cubic Zirconia is a man-made gemstones, made of crystalline form of a naturally occurring mineral called zirconium dioxide. It has an appearance similar to a diamond in terms of lustre, intensity and clarity and is usually transparent in colour. Cubic Zirconia can also be made into different colours. Cubic Zirconia stones are durable and can stay sparkle for many years with proper care.

Care guide:

• Cubic Zirconia is strong and suitable for everyday wear. Gently cleaning with a soft lint-free cloth regularly will help preserve its brilliance. If desired, Cubic Zirconia can be cleaned in a solution of warm water and mild soap. Always dry well afterwards with a soft lint-free cloth. 
• When not wearing, store your Cubic Zirconia jewellery, ideally individually, away from excessive heat, sunlight, moisture and humidity in an enclosed storage, such as an airtight container, jewellery box, ziplock bag or cloth bag.

Freshwater Pearls

 

Freshwater pearls are produced by freshwater mussels as a result of the mussels’ natural defence mechanism when a small irritant enters and lodges in their mantle tissue. The mussels react to the irritant by secreting layers and layers of nacre, a substance that is also used for building their shell, eventually completely covering the irritant. The result of this is breathtaking. What makes freshwater pearls even more special is that over 90% of freshwater pearls are baroque. This uniqueness goes hand in hand quite nicely with modern designed jewellery. Freshwater pearls also come in a vast variety of colours and sizes, making these beauties even more exciting.

Freshwater pearls are very durable and, with proper care, will last for decades if not even a lifetime! 

Care guide:

• Despite their long lasting nature, their surface is delicate, it is strongly recommended that freshwater pearls are kept out of water, liquid, chemical and acids. This includes perfume, makeup, hair spray and skincare products. Even though you can wear your freshwater pearl jewellery as often as you like, you can make sure they’re not excessively exposed to harmful substances by putting them on last and taking them off first thing when you come home. Freshwater pearls are not ideal for wearing while exercising. Please also do not submerge your freshwater pearls in water
• Best way to clean your freshwater pearls is to wipe them with a damp or dry soft cloth or chamois cloth after every use. 
• When not wearing, store your freshwater pearls individually and separately from other jewellery in a soft cloth or jewellery pouch. Do not store them in an airtight container or plastic bag, or in a spot that is too hot or too dry as your freshwater pearls can get dehydrated and as a result the nacre on the surface of the pearls can crack or damage.

 

We hope you enjoy our range of delicate fashion jewellery at Ruby’s Ambition!