Jewelry Care/Materials + Repairs
With a little care, your jewelry should last you a lifetime. Ensure that it does so by following our simple jewelry care tips.
- Jewelry can scratch with wear. This is totally natural and just shows how much you love your VCS jewelry.
- As with all fine things in life, you should take care to protect your jewelry. Moisture and salts encourage the appearance of tarnish. Do not store jewelry in the bathroom.
- In those rare instances you take off your piece, store it in a sealed plastic bag. It's best to remove your jewelry while showering, swimming, applying perfume or working out.
- We believe jewelry should be worn daily (we wear ours!) but there are a few activities where we recommend removing your precious pieces – when coming in contact with rocks or gardening; when holding grabby babies; or when wearing a nubby sweater.
- Believe it or not, regardless of price, jewelry that looks delicate... is. We still encourage you to wear your VCS pieces but use good judgement.
- Some skin types may react to gold filled jewelry causing it to tarnish or wear out prematurely. We advise you do your research, email us ahead of time with lots of questions before you finalize your metal selection. If a gold filled charm starts tarnishing on you, we can re-polish free of charge (within 90 days of purchase) but will not offer a replacement free of charge.
- Fine “scratch” marks are common and part of the handmade nature of our pieces (and more noticeable on the smaller charms).
14K Gold
We use 14k solid yellow, rose and white gold on our heirloom jewelry so your pieces will last you a lifetime. Unlike plated gold, 14K solid gold will not rub off or alter in appearance over time, is most hypoallergenic and durable for everyday wear. Gold should be cleaned regularly in order to maintain its beauty and luster. It can get dirty though. Like any precious metal, solid gold does scratch, so be mindful. Using the included polishing cloth to clean is highly recommended to ensure the longevity of your pieces.
A note for customers ordering a mixed metal product : White Gold comes rhodium plated (with a shiny finish) where as our yellow and rose gold are satin finish. Keep that in mind when ordering.
Sterling Silver
We no longer offer sterling silver on our jewelry but we use silver on ornaments and keychains. All sterling silver contains 92.5% pure silver. Over time and with wear sterling silver naturally oxidizes. Prolonged exposure to the air and your body’s natural chemistry can expedite this process. In order for your sterling silver piece to look its best, avoid direct contact with showers, perfume, lotion, chlorine, and bleach. When not worn, we suggest you store you silver jewelry in airtight plastic bags to slow the oxidation process.The best way to clean your sterling silver charm, and to prevent or remove dirt and tarnish, is to use the polishing/anti-tarnish cloth which arrives with your order. Rub the cloth on the charm until it's shiny again.
Gold filled (no longer offered)
PLEASE NOTE: We have discontinued this metal as of September 9, 2019. For more details please read our post here.
Brass
We use brass on our silhouette and home ornaments. Brass is a base metal and it will tarnish over time receiving a unique patina. This is completely normal.
The best way to clean your ornament, and to remove dirt or tarnish is to use a mixture of a teaspoon of lemon juice with a teaspoon of baking soda until it forms a paste like consistency. Salt works great as a substitute to baking soda. Gently rub the mixture over the ornament. Rinse throughout with hot running water and dry immediately with a cotton dish towel. Brass will tarnish quicker than silver and over time obtain a beautiful patina. Please store your ornaments on its original box to ensure they stay beautiful year after year.
We have partnered with Shinery
Shinery is a company whose mission is to make jewelry care part of your daily ritual. Their products are thoughtfully formulated to be clean, non-toxic, and safe on your entire Vana Chupp Studio collection.
Full ingredients list found on The Radiance Towelettes : Water, Alcohol Denature, Decyl Glucoside, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Full ingredients list found on The Radiance Wash: Water, Potassium Cocoate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Gluconate, Glycol Distearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate
How to care for Diamonds
Diamonds can be cleaned using warm water and a dash of the Radiance Wash. Harder at home cleaners are not recommended.
How to care for Gemstones
Gemstones are sensitive to heat, perfumes, household cleaners, oils and chemical. Be careful when in contact with such agents. Use warm water with a pump of the Radiance Wash to clean them and dry them immediately with a soft cloth. Do not use commercial jewelry cleaners and avoid steam or ultrasonic cleaning.
How to care for Pearls
A pearl's surface is not very hard and it can easily be damaged by other pieces of jewelry if stored together. Since pearls are organic gemstones, they can be fragile and very sensitive to chemicals and moisture. Avoid contact with lotions, perfume, water and hair products. Wipe your pearl jewelry with a Radiance Towelette after each wear.
Repairs + Product Life
We take great pride of the quality and craftsmanship of our pieces. Our jewelry is meant to be worn daily. However, jewelry is by its very nature delicate. If you should experience the need for a repair, we are here to help. We offer free repairs within 90 days for any breakage caused by manufacturer defect.
In need of a repair outside the free repair window? Please fill out our Repair Evaluation. Once we receive the repair request, we will follow up with a quote on any additional charges.
Turnaround time for repair is a minimum of 10-15 business days.
International orders are not eligible for returns or repairs. Products that have been previously altered by another jeweler are not eligible for repairs.