Jewellery is a big investment and often holds great sentimental attachment for the owner. It’s therefore really important to care for your jewellery in the best possible way and have items regularly serviced to keep them at their best so they can be worn and enjoyed for many years to come.

General Care

Jewellery, and especially rings will come into contact with a high number of surfaces and elements during any use, and will therefore be subject to wear and tear even if you only wear your items on special occasions. Greater damage can also occur during a single use, sometimes without even knowing it, but it can be as simple as taking just one knock at the wrong angle. Even the very simple contact from everyday surfaces such as granite worktops or connection between hands when wearing rings on opposing fingers can all cause damage or trauma. Claws can also be susceptible to catching on clothing etc.

In the event damage occurs to your jewellery this does not mean there is manufacturing or design fault, it is just what can happen to something that is exposed to several surfaces/activities/elements within each use. Once you leave the studio with your new item of jewellery the piece becomes your property and how you look after and treat your jewellery may have an impact on its longevity.

To minimise such risks we advise that you take any jewellery off if you’re involved in an activity that is likely to cause them to be knocked, squeezed or scratched. This includes, but is by no means limited to, activities such as sports/gym, gardening and housework.

It’s also best to remember that some gemstones are much less resilient than others and can be particularly sensitive to sunlight and sudden changes in temperature. All stones, including diamonds can fracture or break under the right amount of pressure.

Never expose jewellery to chemicals such as chlorine or household cleaners. Always apply perfumes and lotions prior to wearing your jewellery and remove items before bed. When not wearing your jewellery it’s advised you store pieces carefully and individually in a soft lined case or box.

Should you have any concerns about your jewellery, for example if a stone or claw appears loose or damaged, it’s extremely important you bring it to us for an examination as soon as possible. Failing to act on a concern could mean that the repair job becomes much bigger or for example a stone may fall out completely and become lost. Repair/service appointments can be booked here. We also encourage all customers to utilise their annual complimentary steam clean and examination so we can keep your items looking great but also check for any signs of concern.

Your jewellery automatically comes with a 1 year full warranty which can be viewed here.

Cleaning

Oil deposits, dust and grime can collect under a stone and build up over time and this affects the shine and lustre of your diamonds/gemstones. A gentle clean every now and then will help keep your jewellery bright. Use a couple drops of washing up liquid and warm (not hot or cold) water, and gently clean your jewellery with a soft/extra-soft toothbrush or small paintbrush, taking extra care around claws and mounts. Dry afterwards with a lint-free cloth or leave out to air dry. Never use bleach or other hard abrasives, and if in any doubt, contact us for further advice.

We invite and encourage all our customers to drop their Brazen jewellery in for an annual complimentary steam clean and bath. This also gives us the opportunity to examine your items of jewellery for any signs of damage or trauma. Appointments for this can be made here.

Insuring Your Jewellery

Your jewellery is a valuable asset, not always in monetary terms, but often in sentimental value so it’s really important to have insurance cover for loss, damage or theft. Home contents insurance is likely to include some cover for jewellery but it’s best to check that the cover is appropriate for the value of your items, especially if you have more than one piece of high value. Standard home insurance may not cover for items if they are damaged or lost outside of the home.

Our recommended jewellery insurer is TH March and we have a unique code you can use that will identify your piece as Brazen made and therefore a bespoke or custom item. We can provide this code upon request.

Jewellery Valuations

You may be asked by your insurer to supply a valuation of your piece of Brazen Jewellery. Provided your item is less than 2 years old, your final invoice should suffice as acceptable and appropriate proof of value.

Upon request, we can also issue a formal Valuation Certificate for bespoke items of Brazen jewellery over the value of £2000. This certificate carries an administrative fee of £25. The certificate is based on what the cost would be to recreate the item(s), cross-referenced with a typical retail environment. A valuation certificate for a bespoke piece between £1000-£2000 is not generally required but one can be supplied if necessary, also at a cost of £25.*

If you purchase an item from our website your order receipt will suffice for insurance purchases.

Note: For items over 6 months old, to supply a formal certificate (including certificate updates), we require to see your item(s) of jewellery in the studio before we can issue the document. This is a legal requirement we have to follow to confirm that the item(s) are still in your possession and in good order prior to releasing a further certificate.

*We can only supply a valuation certificate to the client who commissioned the bespoke piece. We will not supply certificates to third parties of any kind.

Repairs & Servicing

Our jewellery is made to the highest of standards and each piece comes with a full 1 year warranty. Wear and tear over time is completely natural but accidents can happen even if you religiously follow all the care advice above or have only owned your jewellery for a relatively short period of time. In some instances you may not even know how or when your jewellery has become damaged. This isn’t anyones fault, it is just what can happen to something that is worn on the body and exposed to everyday occurrences.

No item of jewellery is indestructible, even diamonds can break, so it would be impossible for us to guarantee that your jewellery won’t require any maintenance over its lifetime.

We will happily carry out a repair assessment and work to most items originally made by Brazen.* Sadly, we are unable to undertake work on items that were not made in our workshop.

Find our full warranty and repair details here.

*Please note that our 1 year warranty does not extend to items such as chains, or other standard manufactured findings that we may use. Once your 1 year warranty has expired there is no obligation (from either party) for us to carry out your repair work. You may take your item to any reputable jewellery workshop of your choice and we may even recommend, this should the work required be outwith our workshop remit (i.e extensive laser work)..