Repairs and Jewelry Care
REPAIRS
We stand behind our products and workmanship. Laughing Lotus Boutique offers a 90-day warranty of our products. If within the 90-day period the item - worn with normal wear and tear - is in need of repair, repairs will be at no cost. You are only responsible for shipping. On many items, we will extend the length of this warranty. If your item does need a repair that will require a charge, we will notify you before the repair process.
If you have any questions regarding repairs, please send an email to ShopLaughingLotus@gmail.com. We will do our vey best to resolve all problems.
How Should I Care For My Sterling Silver?
Sterling silver can be cleaned with a sterling silver polishing cloth. We recommend The Sunshine Cloth. Avoid chlorine water and rubbing with paper products, which can scratch the silver. Store pieces in a cool dry place away from light and air to prevent excess tarnishing. Store in zip lock plastic when not wearing. Anti-tarnish strips also are useful.
How Should I Care For My Gold Plated Sterling Silver?
Always separate from other jewelry to prevent scratching and remove before showering or cleaning. Polish gently using yellow gold specific polishing cloth.
How Should I Care For My Plated Jewelry?
Store your gold-plated jewelry in velvet, satin or any soft fabric-lined jewelry box. You can also wrap it in a soft material or place in a re-sealable plastic bag to prevent scratches. Keep all your pieces separate from each other to prevent scratching.
Due to the nature of plated jewelry we suggest following these guidelines to maintain your piece.
Scented products such as perfumes, colognes and lotions contain chemicals that can react with plating and discolor or fade jewelry. Body chemistry and moisture can also effect a plated piece – a high skin PH balance will greatly speed up wear on a plated item.
Plated jewelry should never be worn during activities that involve water such as showering or pool/beach activities as chlorine and salt water will effect plating. When removing jewelry for these purposes be sure to store in a dry area. Friction or contact with a hard surface can produce scratches or wear to the piece.
If necessary, use warm water with a mild, fragrance-free soap to clean plated items. Gently pat dry with a clean cotton or microfiber cloth. Most jewelry cleaners contain chemical elements that will slowly wear and fade plating over time.
Following these steps will help ensure the longevity of your jewelry!
How Should I Care For My Bronze Jewlery?
Many of our bronze pieces have a tarnish resistant finish that will delay but not permanently deter tarnishing. Natural Bronze will oxidize over time, turning a darker, more muted color. Some designers prefer this darker, aged color as it adds character to the metal. One of the benefits of using bronze over other base metals is that much like sterling silver, tarnish can be easily removed with a Sunshine polishing cloth. To maintain a shiny bright finish for as long a possible, store your bronze away from the air in a ziplock plastic bag and keep it as dry as possible. Do not wear in the shower.
Additional Information:
All metals, including bronze, silver and gold, can react to beauty and cleaning products. Avoid contact as much as possible with perfumes, hairsprays, lotions and household cleaners.
Commercial cleaners can be purchased at jewelry stores. Always remember to read the instructions on the commercial cleaners first before you attempt cleaning. Most commercial cleaners are very strong and will remove all oxidation! Many of our designs are purposely oxidized then polished, so that crevices are darkened to bring out the depth and beauty of a piece. Take care not to remove this design element. Do not go overboard!
If you’d like to avoid harsh commercial cleaners and the polishing cloth doesn’t work, wash silver jewelry (without gemstones or pearls) in warm water containing a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid. Immerse the sterling silver in the water and gently hand wash. Use a cotton swab for tight corners. A soft baby toothbrush can be used for more abrasive cleaning when needed. Thoroughly rinse and completely dry the sterling silver before storing, as moisture is one of the factors that contribute to tarnishing!
Never clean your jewelry in bleach! Doing this will literally breakdown your jewelry. Bleach is an oxidizing agent that will react to the metal, causing it to become very brittle. Remember to remove your jewelry before swimming or soaking in a hot tub too!
If the jewelry contains gemstones or pearls, do not submerge the entire piece into water. Instead, use a cotton swab with mild dishwashing liquid to wash only the silver. Again, thoroughly rinse and completely dry the sterling silver before storing, as moisture is one of the factors that contribute to tarnishing! Chlorine bleach, denatured alcohol, turpentine, acetone, and ammonia are all harmful to gemstones and pearls. These chemicals can dull or even pit the surface on softer gemstones, like amber, turquoise, lapis, and more.
Never use toothpaste or other abrasives to clean metal or stones. Some websites recommend toothpaste as a cleaner, but this is not an accepted practice by fine jewelers. The abrasives in toothpaste can damage the surface of the metal. Toothpaste will also abrade the surface on amber, lapis, turquoise and other soft stones.
If these steps do not remove the tarnish on the sterling silver, it may require a visit to a professional jeweler who will either clean the sterling silver with an ultrasonic cleaner, or buff it with stages of abrasive paper.
