FAQ's
Caring for your Made
Every piece of Made has been lovingly handcrafted in Kenya by talented Artisans. Caring for your jewellery properly means that it will look great every time you wear it.
How to look after your brass jewellery:
Brass has become our signature here at Made. Bold and beautiful, brass is durable and diverse - and in plentiful supply here in Kenya.
Brass will tarnish with wear so it's important you clean it regularly to keep it looking as good as new. For those of you who don't have any Brass cleaner to hand, here are some handy tips on how to clean your Made:
- Brass does not like to get wet so keep it away from water.
- Rub with a jewellery cloth if the brass is becoming tarnished. Soap and water and a soft brush will help shine up your brass jewellery, air dry well afterwards.
- Lemon juice can be used to clean your brass jewellery. Rinse clean with warm water before leaving to air dry and buffing to shine.
- Using a toothbrush to clean crevices is an easy cheap way to keep your brass pieces clean.
How to look after your silver jewellery:
Silver naturally tarnishes over time with exposure to air and the environment. Additionally lotions, perfumes, bleach and chlorine all have adverse effects on the quality and look of any silver.
In order to ensure that tarnishing doesn’t spoil your silver jewellery, it is important to follow a few simple steps;
- Apply any scents and lotions before you put it on
- Avoid wearing pieces when doing sport or washing up.
- We advise that you keep your jewellery in the pouch it came in to avoid the risk of tarnishing.
- Wash with warm water, not hot. Dilute dish soap in a sink full of warm water before adding the silver plated items to avoid dark spots from concentrated dish detergent
Extra tips:
Brass will tarnish with wear so it's important you clean it regularly to keep it looking as good as new. For those of you who don't have any Brass cleaner to hand, here are some handy tips on how to clean your Made using store cupboard staples you're bound to have in your kitchen.
1. Good ol’ fashioned soap and water
Here at Made HQ we use Mothers favourite Fairy Liquid (other brands are available). Simply fill your sink with warm water, squeeze in a dash of the green stuff and, using an old toothbrush or nail brush, give your jewels a good scrub.
If your piece is especially tarnished leave to soak for 5-10 minutes before rinsing with clean water and leaving to air dry before giving it a good buff with a clean cloth.
2. Lemon Juice
This is the method we use at the Made workshop in Kenya. Once our artisans have crafted the jewellery each piece will then be cleaned with lemon juice and then rinsed thoroughly with clean water before being left to air dry and subsequently buffed for added shine.
Top tip: Why not use an old toothbrush to clean cracks and crevices that are otherwise hard to reach.
3. Tomato Ketchup (yes really)
The acid in tomatoes is acidic enough to remove the tarnish from your brass whilst being gentle enough to prevent any damage – making it the perfect go-to method for cleaning your favourite Made jewels. Simply apply with a brush or cloth and gently scrub. Use a clean cloth to remove the ketchup and follow with a damp cloth before buffing for added shine.
