Jewellery care and Warranty

Let's bust a myth shall we. Despite what most have heard, the skin that turns green underneath a piece of jewellery doesn’t occur due to the poor quality of the ring, nor is it harmful. It is simply a response to certain materials within the jewellery, and can appear even when wearing fine expensive jewellery.

This patch of skin that may turn green occurs when the materials oxidise. This means they react to the pH levels of your skin, which can leave a stain. People who happen to have a higher acidic pH within their skin tend to experience this.

Another common factor is the chemicals in your hand creams or perfumes which can cause the metal to oxidise even if your skin is not sensitive to metals.

The most common ingredient in any piece of jewellery that causes this scenario is copper. Pure gold and silver are naturally too soft to work with, and therefore must be alloyed (stabilised) with other materials in order to create a secure, good-quality piece of jewellery. Copper is an alloy that is often combined with silver or gold-plated jewellery in order to create the shape and consistency of the piece. For example, the 925 sterling silver jewellery that we offer is composed of 92.5% silver, and 7.5% copper (hence, the number 925). This formula results in the highest quality silver jewellery, and is used by high-end brands as well as more affordable fashion jewellery brands, and therefore it must never be assumed that a trace of copper equals poor quality. 

What can I do to prevent my skin turning green?

If you are one of the few people who experience staining when you wear jewellery, follow the simples steps above to prevent such occurrences while also increasing the longevity of your Luceat accessories. 

What do I do to treat a green finger?

If you have unfortunately experienced this green staining, you can remove this by scrubbing your skin with soap and warm water. Use a nailbrush to provide a little more friction.

If this doesn’t work, you can also use make-up remover or rubbing alcohol for more stubborn stains. Wipe over the affected area with some cotton, and then rinse off with warm water and soap. 

What is the difference between Gold Plating, PVD and Gold Vermeil? 

There are a number of gold plating processes, including Physical Vapour Deposition ('PVD'). This is a process than can be used for numerous materials but is often used as a way to apply one metal (in our case, 18k gold) with another metal (in our case, stainless steel, brass or 925 sterling silver, unless stated) to bond them together.

PVD is a vacuum coating process that utilises a titanium nitride that produces a brilliant decorative and functional finish. PVD is an extremely durable coating which is more resistant to corrosion from sweat and regular wear than gold plating.

Gold Plating occurs when a thin layer of real gold is plated onto another metal. Gold plating is often done to give the look of real gold at a fraction of the cost of having a piece of jewellery that is solid gold. Gold plating doesn’t offer the durability of gold PVD coating and when scratched can reveal the base material. We use the highest quality PVD process so that you get the aesthetic and durability. 

Gold Vermeil (pronounced vehr-may) is a term to describe jewellery that has a Sterling Silver base with gold plating at least 2.5 microns thick. Gold Plating is usually 1.0 micron so Gold Vermeil can last many years longer than standard Gold Plating.

What do you mean by water-resistant?

Some of our jewellery is plated using 18k Gold PVD Plating or 18k Gold plated (see above). This means that our jewellery can withstand more exposure to moisture. With proper jewellery care, your jewels will last much longer than standard coated jewellery. However, we still advise to not wear your jewellery in water to maintain its shine.

It’s important to remember that all metal is susceptible to natural wear and will eventually oxidise, fade or require expert maintenance in its lifetime. Maintaining your gold plated pieces is a simple task and if you follow our jewellery care advice (which is included in all orders).

Is our jewellery hypo-allergenic?

Hypoallergenic jewellery is made from materials less likely to cause a reaction.

If you have an allergy to some jewellery, most of the time it's due to either Nickel and Copper. Brass is a Copper and Zinc alloy but our Stainless Steel pieces do not contain Nickel, Chronium or Lead which are common irritants for people who are sensitive to some jewellery. Please read the description section carefully when placing an order.

The main concern would be if the plating wore thin, your skin would be exposed to the base metal. However, our pieces are coated using the PVD process (see above) with 18k (the higher the karat, the lesser the risk of reaction).

SUPPORT

In case of any faulty goods please contact us with a photo and proof of purchase details. Items will be replaced at our discretion. At this point, we do not offer a repair service.