Jewelry Care & Repair

GENERAL JEWELRY CARE (for all materials)

  • For longevity and best care, store your jewelry in a cool, dry place, as avoiding humidity will help fight tarnish.

  • Keeping your jewelry in a soft pouch can protect it from dust and scratches.

  • Remove jewelry before swimming, exercising, bathing, and sleeping.

  • Avoid harsh common chemicals like cleaning products, chlorine, bleach, and perfumes. These can damage your jewelry.

  • Certain stones are more fragile. Be careful with jewelry that has any pearls or opals. Cleaning and humidity are more likely to damage these stones.

  • Any jewelry you wear every day, such as engagement or wedding rings, should have prong settings checked annually by a jeweler.

Most LORAK pieces have our signature satin finish which we believe lets the design stand out without the glare of a high polish. Over time, the satin finish will buff up to a shine from the natural oils in the skin. We like this natural process of wear, but if you want to maintain a satin finish, and properly care for jewelry of any kind, follow the guidelines above.

Here’s a few more tips for caring for specific jewelry materials:

14K & 18K GOLD - Solid gold jewelry can be cleaned at home using a mild dish soap, warm water, and gentle scrubbing with a toothbrush. If your solid gold jewelry has developed a shine over time and you would like to restore the satin finish, either bring the piece in to us, or contact our studio for a satin finish home kit. 

STERLING SILVER - Silver is sensitive to humidity, and moisture will greatly speed up tarnishing. For silver pieces, Tarnex solution can be used to brighten the metal and alleviate the metal from any tarnish it may have gotten. Dip the piece in for several seconds or rub gently with a cotton swab, being careful to have limited contact with any gemstones. 

PATINA/OXIDIZED SILVER - Sterling silver jewelry with a patina or oxidized design should not be cleaned with any silver cleaner, silver cloth, or Tarnex, as this will remove your oxidized design. Only use warm water and a mild dish soap to clean these pieces.

BRASS & BRONZE - Both brass and bronze jewelry can be gently cleaned at home with a mild dish soap, warm water, and a soft cloth.

GOLD FILL - Gold-fill jewelry can tarnish, but at a much slower rate if you follow the basic guidelines above. It can also be cleaned with mild dish soap, warm water, and a toothbrush.

PLATINUM - Platinum jewelry will not tarnish. However, it may form a patina over time. If you would like your LORAK platinum jewelry refinished, drop it off with us. Platinum can also be cleaned at home with a mild dish soap and warm water, like gold jewelry.

BEADED JEWELRY - A soft, damp cloth can remove any surface grime. Do not use ultrasonic cleaners, as these may damage or break your beaded jewelry.

PLATED JEWELRY - For our Vermeil pieces, Tarnex solution can also be used to remove tarnish. Dip the piece in or rub gently with a cotton swab and limit contact with stones. Avoid using silver-polishing cloths on plated jewelry (including rhodium-plated silver). Our Samla collection (gold-dipped brass) should not need any cleaning.


INSURANCE

We recommend Jeweler’s Mutual insurance for any fine jewelry. Contact our studio by phone or email if you would like an insurance valuation for your LORAK Jewelry piece. We cannot appraise jewelry by other designers.

WARRANTY

All LORAK jewelry pieces made by our studio are under a complimentary 1-year warranty for sizing (for resizeable ring styles) and care. Drop your jewelry off at our studio (or ship) if you need a resize or repair. Additional fees may apply for extensive damage.

MATERIAL SOURCES

We believe in ethical sourcing and supporting socially and environmentally responsible suppliers. We strive to implement practices that meet our present needs without compromising the needs of future generations.  Our diamonds and colored gemstones are handpicked to ensure that they are natural and ethically sourced.  More than 85% of our gold is recycled and the majority of the balance comes from American gold mines. We use both natural and lab-grown diamonds, so let us know if you have a preference.