Jewelry Care + Info

1. About the Jewelry:

  • Pottery
    • Upcycled Pottery: Using thrifted, damaged, and/or donated pottery and china, I upcycle and bring new life to vintage heirlooms by breaking them into pieces that I am then able to shape into soft and organic shapes and set in either a silver or solid 10k gold bezel!

There is a line to be walked in terms of destroying perfectly mint-condition china just for the sake of "it would make a cute piece of jewelry". Therefore, I attempt to strike that balance by only upcycling china that would otherwise be doomed for the landfill, in terms of no longer being able to fulfill its intended use safely (chips, lead-paint/glaze, etc.).

    • Vintage-Inspired Pottery: To emulate the beautiful vintage art style (that we all love) without sacrificing mint-condition vintage china, I have been able to design using a combination of (1) inspiration via vintage cards, stickers, storybook illustrations, etc., (2) ProCreate and (3) CoPilot to replicate such motifs through a process where they are able to be printed on ceramic tile & sealed! And, in the same way that I create "Upcycled Pottery Necklaces", I am able to shape pieces into a soft and organic shapes & set in either a silver or solid 10k gold bezel!

For both styles of pottery jewelry, some jewels may display the exposed back-side of the pottery piece. This can look very different depending on the style: glazed and smooth OR rough and porous. I make a point, in each listing, to include photos of the backside! If you notice discoloration or dirt collection, specifically on the exposed rough and porous pottery pieces, you can take an old tooth brush and some warm soapy water to rid of it!

Question: Why do you create open-back jewelry?

Answer: I do so because it’s just as beautiful as closed-back jewels yet uses less material (no backplate) and therefore, cost less money on my end (and logistically, less time) & ultimately allows me to provide jewels at a lower cost to customers than if it did have a backplate! 

  • Sea Glass:

Each genuine and unique piece of sea glass is handpicked by myself from Pacific Northwest coasts where they are tumbled and shaped by the sea over the course of decades. Additionally, with different lighting, each piece of sea glass can appear a different shade. Photos of jewelry are taken with natural lighting (sunlight/overcast) to give you the most accurate representation!

Keep in mind, sea glass is transparent, especially lighter colors, so it is essential to avoid contact with water because the silver backplate may tarnish & therefore, change the appearance of the sea glass!

You can rub a tiny bit of baby oil to the surface of your sea glass jewelry to give the piece the "wet" look for longer.

Every piece of jewelry is made with love, effort and so much care; from the hike to find the sea glass to the attention to detail in making the bezel shiny and smooth enough to see your reflection! <3 Please keep in mind that because my jewelry pieces are made by hand, not a machine, they will look handmade, as well. 

  • Metals:

I strictly use Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, and 10 Karat Solid Gold because they can last a lifetime with proper care. Meaning, while all my jewelry is waterproof, it is important to avoid harsh chemicals, like a chlorine pool, cleaning supplies, perfumes, lotions, as they may lead to tarnishing over time. If jewelry does come in contact, be sure to clean and allow to fully dry.

All jewelry tarnishes overtime, no matter the materials, however, with 10 Karat Solid Gold and sterling/fine silver materials, rubbing jewelry carefully with a polishing cloth regularly, you can easily bring back the original shine. I like to suggest a Sunshine Polishing Cloth!

Sterling Silver is 92.5% pure silver and the other 7.5% are other metals alloyed (often times copper, never nickel) - because pure silver by itself is too soft to make jewelry and is not durable to be worn day-to-day.
The small amount of copper in sterling silver is what gives the jewelry strength & has a small chance of turning your skin slightly green if you are not taking measures to ensure your jewelry remains dry and away from chemicals! Everyone’s skin reacts differently to copper. Meaning, some people might never need to take their jewelry off, while others should remove when working out, swimming, showering, etc. & if jewelry does come in contact with water/chemicals/sweat, be sure to clean and dry before wearing again!

I suggest if you’re one of the few people that get green skin from sterling silver, to apply lotions and perfumes and allow them to fully soak in before putting jewelry on! 

To prevent any damage to your jewelry, it is recommended to take your pieces off when doing physical activities (ie. exercise, gardening, while sleeping, etc.)

  • Gemstones:
    • Opals are a beautiful gemstone that are delicate and need to be taken extra care of. I currently only work with Solid Australian opals (not to be confused with doublets)  

Opals require extra care + love, as they can be more fragile than glass and are easily scratched!

    • The turquoise I use is Sleeping Beauty turquoise that was mined in Arizona & has been enhanced using electrochemical treatments to make the color permanent. The Sleeping Beauty mine closed in 2012, making this material valuable and increasingly rare.

2. Ring Sizing:

If you need help with ring sizes, there are several helpful online aids including this one: 

  • https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/shoes-accessories/jewelry/how-to-measure-ring-size

3. Packaging:

  • I am always trying to increase sustainability in every step of my business!
    • "Little things make big things happen"
  • I currently utilize cardboard boxes for both shipment and containing the jewelry, paper tape to ensure nothing gets loose, and using ribbon ribbon for bows!
    • If you have any suggestions + advice to improve my sustainability efforts, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you! Contact me via the "Contact Me" tab.
  • I hope each customer who purchases their own unique Cheyenne Autumn jewel, can do their part in properly disposing of the materials that comes with their order (recycling, repurposing, etc.)! <3