HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR FRANCESCA PIECES

We want you to be able to keep your Francesca pieces for as long as possible! Here are a few quick recommendations for care:

• We recommend not to store your jewellery in the boxes you receive it in, these are designed for transport and not long-term use. We have jewellery boxes available to purchase online to keep your pieces safe.
• Avoid lotions, tanning products and perfumes – chemicals in these products can cause discolouration.
• All metals are delicate, so treat your piece with love and care! We recommend taking your pieces off while sleeping, swimming or undertaking any other sporting activities.

STERLING SILVER
Sterling silver is perfect for those who want to wear their pieces all the time! All sterling silver will naturally oxidise over time; to care for your piece simply polish with a silver polishing cloth (available for purchase here and in store), or dip it in a gentle silver cleaning solution. 

GOLD AND SILVER PLATED
Gold and silver plating is a method of bonding a thin layer of liquid gold or silver onto the surface of another metal such as sterling silver or brass by electrochemical plating. Francesca pieces are of the highest quality with plating thickness varying from 2 to 3 microns. Wear in plating is subject to change due to the acidity of the wearers skin, and exposure to products such as perfumes, moisturisers, tans or cleaning products. Wear in plating and tarnish are not manufacturing faults, if you would like a piece which can be worn every day without discolouring we recommend our Noir range. The length of time that plating will last varies to each individual. If you have not worn a plated item before we recommend researching this prior to purchasing.

GOLD FILLED 
With the elegance and beauty of gold, gold filled jewellery is a long wearing alternative to solid gold without the price tag! Featuring a layer of 14k solid gold bonded to brass, our gold filled collection may be worn everyday without tarnishing. To care for your piece avoid wearing it in water or exposing it to chemicals. Clean it using warm water and a soft cloth.

SOLID GOLD
Unlike many other metals, gold will never tarnish or fade, making it perfect for everyday wear. To care for your piece, simply polish it with a gold polishing cloth (available for purchase here or in store), or dip it in warm water using a mild detergent. Please avoid swimming in chlorine or saltwater, and limit  any contact with harsh chemicals as this can damage the soft metal.

BEADED BRACELETS – SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES
Our bracelets are hand-beaded on industrial strength elastic in our Hobart studio. If you are experiencing any problems with our hand-made bracelets please reach out to our care team here. To clean your semi-precious stones, gently wipe them with a damp cloth. Natural products such as semi-precious stones will take on moistures from their environment, so please avoid wearing them in water or exposing them to detergents or chemicals. Hair spray, perfumes, chemicals and soaps can damage and discolour the stones. Natural stones are subject to change over time through wear. 

DIAMONDS AND RING-SET STONES
Diamonds and other stones set into solid gold or sterling silver can be cleaned in warm water with a mild detergent solution, or by a professional jeweller. Please take care when wearing stones that are set into our rings, as any activity that causes the band to become misshapen will affect the setting. This may result in the loss of stones. Misshapen pieces are deemed wear and tear and are not covered under warranty.

TARNISHING 
Tarnish occurs for many reasons and is subject to the environment of the wearer. Tarnish is not a manufacturing fault as it can be caused by many different things such as perfumes, moisturisers, tanning lotions and cleaning chemicals. Even ones’ skin acidity can cause metals to tarnish. Tarnish can also be a result of oxidation from the way items are stored. Oxidation is a natural process that occurs from the combination of oxygen with a substance forming oxide. This can be caused by either lack of oxygen or too much oxygen exposure. We do not recommend storing your pieces in their original box as they are only designed to protect items for safe transportation. We recommend storing your pieces in a purpose-made jewellery box. We find that a simple polish with a clean microfibre or jewellery polishing cloth will remove tarnish. 

ALLERGIES
All of our pieces are nickel and alloy free! Please note that Francesca is not liable to compensate customers for any reactions that are caused by our jewellery. If you experience any reactions to our jewellery we recommend to consult your GP.