Care Instructions

With proper care and mindful handling, your jewelry piece from Atelier Tibet will accompany you for many years and preserve its natural beauty.

What to Consider When Wearing

To protect your jewelry, we recommend:

Putting on:

  • Put on your jewelry after applying cosmetics
  • Avoid direct contact with perfume or hairspray

Taking off:

  • Before sports, showering, swimming, or bathing
  • During household chores (avoid contact with cleaning products)
  • Before applying creams or lotions

Proper Storage

We recommend storing your jewelry as follows:

  • In a soft fabric pouch - such as a brocade bag - or jewelry box
  • Separately from other jewelry pieces to avoid scratches
  • In a dry, dark place
  • Protected from direct sunlight (can bleach or dry out materials)

Special Care Instructions for Different Materials

Gemstones

Why Do Stone Necklaces Lose Their Shine?

Over time, gemstones can appear duller. This is usually due to:

  • Skin oils and sweat depositing on the surface
  • Cosmetics such as creams, perfume, or hairspray
  • Natural oxidation
  • The porous structure of many gemstones that absorb substances

Cleaning

Regular care (after each wear):

We recommend gently caring for your stone necklace after each wear:

  • Use a soft, slightly damp cotton cloth
  • Wipe the stones carefully
  • Dry immediately with a dry, soft cloth
  • Important: Never immerse the necklace in water

Thorough cleaning (once a month):

For more intensive cleaning, you can occasionally use a drop of olive oil:

  • Put 1 drop of olive oil on a soft cloth
  • Rub very gently over the stones
  • Polish with a dry cloth
  • Note: Please use sparingly!

What You Should Absolutely Avoid

To protect your valuable gemstones, we strongly advise against the following:

❌ Ultrasonic cleaners
❌ Chemical cleaning agents
❌ Soap or detergent
❌ Hot water
❌ Steam cleaning
❌ Brushes of any kind

These methods can permanently damage the delicate surface of gemstones.

Professional Restoration

If your stone necklace has lost significant shine despite regular care, we recommend professional restoration by a jeweler. They can:

  • Polish the stones gently
  • Remove surface scratches
  • Restore the original shine

Good to Know

Most gemstones are softer than you might think and therefore:

  • Susceptible to scratches
  • Often porous - absorb liquids
  • Sensitive to acids and chemicals

Silver

Silver jewelry naturally tarnishes over time and becomes darker. Here's how to care for your silver:

Cleaning:

  • Use a special silver polishing cloth or silver polish
  • For heavier tarnishing: Lukewarm water with a little dish soap, then dry thoroughly
  • Use professional silver baths sparingly (not for combined pieces with stones!)

Prevention:

  • Store silver jewelry airtight (e.g., in sealed plastic bags)
  • Wear silver regularly - skin contact prevents heavy tarnishing
  • Remove silver jewelry before contact with sulfur (thermal baths, eggs, onions)

Gold-Plated Silver

Gold plating is more delicate than pure silver and requires special care:

Cleaning:

  • Only wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth
  • Never use silver polish or polishing cloths - these remove the gold plating!
  • If needed: Slightly damp cloth, dry immediately afterward
  • No rubbing - only gentle dabbing

Important:

  • Gold plating naturally wears down over time
  • Avoid contact with water, sweat, and cosmetics as much as possible
  • In case of heavy wear, re-plating can be done by a jeweler

Bone

Bone is an organic material and requires special care:

Cleaning:

  • Wipe bone jewelry with a slightly damp cloth
  • Dry immediately afterward
  • Do not soak in water - bone can swell and discolor

Care:

  • Occasionally rub with a little coconut oil or jojoba oil (sparingly!)
  • This prevents drying out and maintains the natural color
  • When dry, bone can become brittle

Important:

  • Do not expose to direct sunlight (bleaches)
  • Do not store in very dry rooms
  • Bone can naturally discolor over time - this is normal

Wood

Wood beads and pendants are natural, living materials:

Cleaning:

  • Only dust with a dry, soft cloth
  • If soiled: Slightly damp cloth, dry immediately
  • Never immerse in water or store damp

Care:

  • Treat 2-3 times per year with some wood oil, coconut oil, or beeswax
  • This nourishes the wood and maintains its beauty
  • Massage in with a soft cloth and polish