Care Notes
Longevity is front of mind for us when designing and making our pieces. They are all made to be repaired, not discarded and replaced.
We hope that your jewellery and flatware pieces will stay with you for many years and be worn and used often. With such love comes wear and no doubt the odd ding and dent. Often this adds beauty and character to a piece - something we love, but at other times it may be something you wish to repair.
We also offer a professional cleaning, repair and re-plating service for all Ferro Forma and Alison Jackson pieces. Send us an email at hello@ferroforma.com.au with some images of your piece and we will chat through what the best course of action is for your piece. Once we've confirmed it all with you we can happily receive your piece via post or drop off as arranged directly with us.
If your piece has been significantly damaged please get in touch and we will be able to quote you for repairing it.
We have detailed below our care notes, categorised by material.
BRASS
Used in our limited edition and flatware collections
Our brass pieces are finished with a thin layer of wax initially, the brass handles will continue to develop a deeper patina over time. The rich golden tones will slowly darken with time, water droplets will leave their speckled marks and fingerprints will layer together giving a unique depth to the evolving patina. We celebrate the beauty of the patina, watching it build and change with each use, marking memories and character as the pieces are used, loved and treasured. The bright raw brass colour can be returned at any stage with a simple cleaning process. Use a gentle abrasive pad such as ScotchBrite™and rub in a random circular motion, a little elbow grease may be needed for stubborn spots. Additionally, mix a paste of lemon juice and baking soda and with a soft clean cloth, rub over the surface. Rinse in warm water and dry immediately.
STAINLESS STEEL
Used in our flatware collection
Our flateware collection is made from durable high-grade stainless steel. Cleaning and caring for your flatware is very straightforward. For pieces that are 100% stainless steel, with no other materials - these are dishwasher safe. Stainless steel is very resilient against corrosion but can be scratched when it comes in contact with other hard items, so care should always be taken. To restore the swirly satin finish to your piece - simply use a piece of scotchbite wiht a little warm water and soap in a circular motion to blend any rub marks or areas of wear. We offer a refinishing service for if your tableware pieces are ever in need of a touch up. Please get in contact to find out more.
STAINLESS STEEL
Used in our jewellery collection
Stainless steel is a corrosion resistant and very durable material making it a wonderful material for jewellery. Although it is called stainless steel it still requires a little care from time to time to keep it looking at its best.
Each piece is cleaned with a stainless steel cleaning product before we pack them into their jewellery boxes. This cleaning step removes fingerprints and other marks. It also leaves a thin transparent film on the surface which protects against these marks re-appearing.
To clean fingerprints from the surface, wash by hand use warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Dry immediately with a soft cloth to prevent water marks staining the surface.
STAINLESS STEEL EARRING WIRES
Used in our jewellery collection
We hand-make each of our earring wires here in the workshop. They are made from 100% stainless steel and are often a preferred choice for those with sensitive ears. Stainless is a very strong metal, which means the earring wires will not easily deform with regular use.
The hoops will spring open when unhooked - allowing the earring to be put on. Once secured together again, there is tension in the metal meaning they won’t accidentally spring open when worn. The long style earring hooks have a kick in the end to allow them to be easily put on and they will retain their shape with even the most regular use.
POWDERCOATED STAINLESS STEEL
Used in our jewellery collection
Our rich black finish in our jewellery collection is a powdercoated surface. Powdercoating is a strong durable surface treatment. However, as with all our pieces they should always be treated with care. Never store the pieces near anything abrasive or sharp as this can damage the surface. Should they need a clean, use warm mildy soapy water with a soft cloth. Dry immediately with a soft cloth.
Materials from our archived collections
We continue to repair and make replacement parts for pieces from our archive where possible. Reach out with any queries you have, we're always happy to help.
STERLING SILVER
Our Sterling silver jewellery pieces have been finished with beautiful bright satin surface. Silver wears beautifully over time, it polishes itself in areas of wear and scratches and marks often add character and warmth to the piece. Silver also naturally tarnishes over time from exposure to the elements; this often appears in the form of darkening of the surface. General care, storage and cleaning is the best way to slow this process down. The use of a silver polishing cloth or silver specific polishing liquid is a great way to remove more stubborn tarnishing. Our DIY at home guide is a quick and easy way to remove tarnish, you can read the step-by-step
here. For heavy stubborn tarnish you may need to do the process several times and follow with a silver polish cloth, such as the Goddard's brand.
Of course we’re always happy to give your piece a professional clean and spruce up – we offer a cleaning, re-plating and repair service for all our work, please email us for more info.
OXIDISED STERLING SILVER
Oxidised silver is given its beautiful deep grey/black surface finish by placing silver pieces in a specialised liquid that chemically alters the surface. A museum quality wax is then applied to the surface to seal it and deepen the tone of colour. This surface finish is delicate and will change over time. With general wear, the edges and high points of a piece will be the first to wear, revealing the bright silver underneath. This often creates attractive highlights on the edges of the jewellery, adding to the look of the piece. We recommend only using a very gentle cloth with warm soapy water to clean, as coarse fabrics will damage and remove the surface finish. Always store your oxidised pieces with care to avoid scratching the surface finish. We offer a re-oxidising service for those wishing to restore their jewellery to its original dark finish.
GOLD PLATED STERLING SILVER
Our 24ct gold plating is a thin layer applied over the top of the sterling silver through a process called electroplating. We recommend our general cleaning guide using a soft cloth with warm soapy water. Abrasives like ScotchBrite™ are not recommended as they will cut through the gold plating and reveal the silver beneath. A polishing cloth or gold specific polishing liquid will restore the lustre of the original piece will little effort (once again, never use an abrasive cleaner).
If your Jewellery has be damaged or you can see silver coming through the gold we recommend you get in contact with us to arrange your pieces to be re-plated. Re-plating is the best way to refresh your pieces and we recommend this every few years for pieces that are worn on a regular basis.
GENERAL CARE
We make every effort to ensure each piece looks its best when it leaves our hands. Normal everyday things, including chlorinated water, cleaning chemicals, sweat and oil from our skin, can affect the appearance of the metals we use in our jewellery pieces. It’s always best to remove your jewellery if you are taking a shower, doing exercise or using cleaning chemicals and always put on jewellery after applying makeup or sunscreens. This will greatly reduce the need to clean your jewellery pieces and help keep them looking their best for years to come.
Giving your jewellery a quick clean from time to time is a great way to keep it looking great and preserve the beautiful finish. Here is a simple way to clean and maintain your jewellery pieces. In a bowl mix a small amount of soap with warm water. Then Soak a soft cloth in the water solution and rub the surface of the piece, making sure to through and gentle, avoiding getting the cloth caught on the piece as this can bend and damage the piece. An old toothbrush is also good option for hard to reach spots. Once it is clean rising in clean water followed by drying with a soft cloth or towel. If you find the piece is not clean please follow our material specific cleaning guide.
Storing your jewellery correctly is important in maintaining the longevity of your pieces. The jewellery box your piece came in is a great place to keep your piece as it provides a clean dark home to keep it safe when not in use. A fabric pouch is also great option as it will prevent the collection of dust and stop scratching from contact with other pieces. It can be tempting to pop jewellery on the vanity before having a shower, unfortunately this can lead to your pieces staining and tarnishing quickly, so it’s best to store away from steamy or humid rooms like the bathroom.
We're always here to help, reach out via the contact page with any questions you have.
