At MINKARA we use natural and recycled materials. Any variation in color or detailing is a result of the handcrafted nature of this item. Slight imperfections are not to be considered defects, but add to its value and unique character.

Sterling silver can tarnish over time when exposed to the open air. Tarnishing is a natural process that can be cleaned. We do not use an anti-tarnish coating as this variates slightly the color of your silver.. and we like silver in its natural way!

CARE OF SILVER JEWELRY

Sterling silver jewelry is a timeless investment. Caring for your MINKARA jewelry will help ensure its beauty, luster and longevity. Here are some helpful tips from us on how to take care and clean your jewelry pieces in an organic way.

We recommend that you remove jewelry before going to bed or participating in physical activity. Exposure to certain harsh chemicals or environments might result in your silver pieces going dark. this includes, but is not limited to the following: perspiration, perfumes, cleaning agents, chlorine, salt water, and silver polish.

If your silver turns black: DON´T PANIC! Its a natural process that can be easily cleaned at home:

To clean your silver at home, you'll need:

• Pan
• Water
• 1 tbsp. baking soda
• Aluminum Foil
• 1 tbsp. salt
• Soft cloth
• Olive oil
• Bowl

-Line a pan with aluminum foil. Put the items inside the pan, making sure they are touching the foil, then pour in enough water to cover the pieces.

-Mix salt and baking soda in a separate bowl and pour evenly over the water. Cover the pan and let it sit for a couple of hours (longer if it’s highly tarnished). If you’re in a rush, heat the pan and let the water boil for a couple of minutes.

-Empty the water and remove your silver pieces from the pan. Rinse everything with hot water.

-Add a spoon of olive oil on a cloth ,this will dry and polish your silver pieces, while providing a natural anti-tarnish, due to the antioxidant properties of olive oil.

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?

The Silver and Aluminum take part in an electrochemical reaction. The salt water allows the electrons to move.

As a result, the silver tarnish is "transferred" to the aluminum ; aluminum is oxidized and the reduced silver loses the tarnish.

CARE OF GOLD PLATED PRODUCTS

↠ All of our Gold plated pieces go through an X-Ray Plating Thickness & Deposit Testing once they are finished to guarantee that you get 2 real micron of 14K Gold on your piece. All of our plated pieces are made of Sterling Silver, so they will never leave your finger green. You will always have a valuable piece as the base is solid sterling silver.

↠ Please have in mind that the Gold plating only gives color to the piece. Due to the daily use, the color may fade away or lose its initial shine and we cannot guarantee that this will not happen. But if this happens, it´s not the end of the world! Good news is that you can replate your piece unlimitedly. Just contact us and we will inform you on our Personalized Plating Service.

GOLD PLATED PRODUCTS CARE TIPS

• Don’t use traditional jewelry cleaners on your plated jewelry, or any other chemical-filled solution, not even toothpaste. Instead, rely on a soft cotton cloth and warm water, but only if you must. If you have to, you can use a miniscule amount of liquid soap, but you should only do this when needed. you should limit its exposure to water as well. So take your jewelry off before taking a shower, washing your hands and before going in the swimming pool or the sea.
• Do you keep your jewelry in a jewelry box or armoire, or another type of box that isn’t designed specifically for jewelry? Be sure to avoid storing your plated jewelry in something made of oak, or even cardboard boxes. These materials are often treated with sulfur, which over time will release fumes that will cause your jewelry to tarnish and become damaged. Try to store the plated pieces in your collection inside a velvet or silk pouch to keep them safe.
• Basically, you can own gold plated pieces and ensure they last for years, as long as you take care of them.

Do you own any gold plated jewelry, or would you rather the real thing?

If you want your piece to be gold color forever, we highly recommend to invest a little bit more in a solid gold piece. You will have a piece made just for you, ready to pass on to further generations and that will last forever.

If you already own a MINKARA piece made of Vermeil and you'd like to have it in Solid Gold, Please email me at info@minkara.life and I'll take the vermeil piece back and I'll put the value of the piece that you paid for towards the solid gold piece.  In the end, my pieces are all made of fine metals so I can recycle them.

Payment plan would be available also for this option, Contact me if this is the case.