Repairs and Jewelry Care
REPAIRS
At VLM Jewelry quality and craftsmanship is our top priority. However, contrary to popular belief, handmade jewelry is not indestructible, sometimes delicate and requires special care to keep it in tip-top condition. If you should experience the need for repair on any VLM Jewelry please EMAIL us.
VLM Jewelry will repair at no charge any breakage caused by manufacturer defect within 120 days of receipt of purchase. The only charge for this service is the return shipping charge of $8.
Repairs needed after 120 days or deemed to be caused by misuse will incur a repair charge at the customer’s expense (usually in the $25 range + $8 shipping).
Please send repairs to:
VLM
Attn: Repairs
728 S Hill St #1101
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Please enclose your Name, Address, Order Number (if available), Phone Number and Reason for Repair. We will contact you when the repair is ready and invoice you to cover return shipping charges.
Please refer to our General Jewelry Care below for tips on how to keep your VLM Jewelry in tip-top condition.
GENERAL JEWELRY CARE
Contrary to popular belief, handmade jewelry is not indestructible, sometimes delicate and requires special care to keep it in like new condition. We are happy to provide our customers with some easy tips to keep all your jewelry looking its best.
If you would ever like your VLM Jewelry professionally cleaned, re-polished, re-coated and/or returned to like new condition please EMAIL us.
Please send pieces for refinishing to:
VLM
Attn: Refinishing
728 S Hill St. #1101
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Please enclose your Name, Mailing Address, Email Address, Phone Number, and Order Number (if available). Once the refinished piece is ready we will email you an invoice to cover the cost and return shipping (usually in the $25 range + $8 shipping).
BRASS JEWELRY
Brass VLM Jewelry is finished with a clear, non-toxic coating that slows or prevents the tarnishing process and keeps the piece looking bright and shiny for as long as possible. This coating will naturally wear overtime depending on several factors such as skin ph, how often the piece is worn and/or how often the piece comes into direct contact with your skin, and how you care for your jewelry. Although we are unable to guarantee the coating for any specific length of time, we have provided some easy tips to follow to help prolong the life of the coating and to keep your brass jewelry looking its best. If you would ever like your brass VLM Jewelry professionally cleaned, re-polished, re-coated and returned to like new condition please contact us.
- Store your jewelry in airtight bags or jewelry boxes in a dry environment that will protect your pieces from everyday pollutants in the air and slow the oxidation process. (Never store jewelry in the bathroom.)
- Avoid wearing your jewelry in swimming pools, hot springs and salt water.
- Take care to remove jewelry while washing your hands, cleaning, working out at the gym, playing sports, showering, and sleeping.
- Put on jewelry after applying lotions, perfume and hair products.
- Your skin's ph, direct contact with skin and perspiration can accelerate the life of our non-toxic coating and cause tarnishing over time. Rinse your jewelry after each wear and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.
- If a green residue occurs on your bronze jewelry, simply clean the piece with a dry tissue or soft cloth. This is also a great way to remove any everyday dirt or build up. If further cleaning is necessary, use warm water and a mild, organic soap with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Dry thoroughly with a soft, clean cotton or micro-fiber cloth.
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To clean heavy oxidation, combine 1 teaspoon baking soda with a few drops of warm water to create a paste. Apply a dime-sized amount of the paste to a clean micro fiber cloth or soft-bristled toothbrush and polish the piece. Rinse the piece under warm water and dry with a clean micro fiber cloth. Repeat these steps as necessary until the piece returns to a bright shine.
STERLING SILVER JEWELRY
All sterling silver naturally oxidizes or tarnishes. Prolonged exposure to everyday pollutants in the air (including environments close to the ocean / sea air) and your body’s natural chemistry can expedite this process. We are happy to provide our customers with some easy tips to keep all your sterling silver jewelry looking its best. If you would ever like your sterling silver VLM Jewelry professionally cleaned, re-polished and returned to like new condition please contact us.
- Store your jewelry in airtight bags or jewelry boxes in a dry environment that will protect your pieces from everyday pollutants in the air and slow the oxidation process. (Never store jewelry in the bathroom.)
- Avoid wearing your jewelry in swimming pools, hot springs and salt water.
- Take care to remove jewelry while washing your hands, cleaning, working out at the gym, playing sports, showering, and sleeping.
- Put on jewelry after applying lotions, perfume and hair products.
- Rinse your jewelry after each wear and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. This is also a great way to remove any everyday dirt or build up.
- If further cleaning is necessary, use warm water and a mild, organic soap with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Dry thoroughly with a soft, clean cotton or micro-fiber cloth.
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To clean heavy oxidation, combine 1 teaspoon baking soda with a few drops of warm water to create a paste. Apply a dime-sized amount of the paste to a clean micro fiber cloth or soft-bristled toothbrush and polish the piece. Rinse the piece under warm water and dry with a clean micro fiber cloth. Repeat these steps as necessary until the piece returns to a bright shine.
14 KARAT GOLD JEWELRY
Gold is a relatively soft metal and care should always be taken to prevent scratches and keep it looking its best. Generally, the higher the carat weight, the softer the metal (14k is more scratch resistant than 18k or 24k). We are happy to provide our customers with some easy tips to keep all your 14k gold jewelry looking its best. If you would ever like your 14k gold VLM Jewelry professionally cleaned, re-polished and returned to like new condition please contact us.
- Store your jewelry in airtight bags or jewelry boxes in a dry environment that will protect your pieces from everyday pollutants in the air. (Never store jewelry in the bathroom.)
- Take care to remove jewelry while cleaning, working out at the gym, playing sports, or carrying heavy objects that may damage or scratch the piece.
- Clean your gold regularly to maintain its optimal beauty and shine. Use warm water and a mild, organic soap with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Dry thoroughly with a soft, clean cotton or micro-fiber cloth. This is also a great way to remove any everyday dirt or build up.
GOLD FILL JEWELRY
Gold-filled jewelry is composed of a solid layer of gold alloy (typically constituting at least 5% of the total weight) mechanically bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal of brass, copper or silver. Typically Gold-filled jewelry does not tarnish except in rare cases of being exposed to high levels of chemical sulfide fumes or prolonged exposure to smoke (such as a house fire). We are happy to provide our customers with some easy tips to keep all your gold filled jewelry looking its best. If you would ever like your gold filled VLM Jewelry professionally cleaned and returned to like new condition please contact us.
- Store your jewelry in airtight bags or jewelry boxes in a dry environment that will protect your pieces from everyday pollutants in the air. (Never store jewelry in the bathroom.)
- Take care to remove jewelry while cleaning, working out at the gym, playing sports, showering, and sleeping.
- Put on jewelry after applying lotions, perfume and hair products.
- Rinse your jewelry after each wear and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth. This is also a great way to remove any everyday dirt or build up.
- If further cleaning is necessary, use warm water and a mild, organic soap with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Dry thoroughly with a soft, clean cotton or micro-fiber cloth.
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To clean heavy oxidation, line a small bowl with aluminum foil and combine 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Place your jewelry in the bowl with the baking soda/ salt mixture making sure all metal comes in contact with the aluminum foil. Pour boiling water into the bowl completely covering the jewelry. Wait 3 minutes, remove the jewelry and rinse with clean water. Dry thoroughly with a clean micro fiber cloth. Repeat these steps as necessary until the piece returns to a bright shine.
GOLD VERMEIL JEWELRY
Gold vermeil (pronounced vur-may) is a thick 2.5 micron layer of yellow gold plating over sterling silver, therefore we recommend cleaning only by a professional as not to remove or destroy the heavy gold plating. Please contact us in the event your gold vermeil VLM Jewelry needs cleaning so we can return it to like new condition.
PEARL JEWELRY
Freshwater and Tahitian pearls are delicate and require proper care, they can't be treated in the same was as other jewelry. If you care for your pearls properly, they will stay beautiful and lustrous for hundreds of years, and you can pass them on as a treasured family heirloom. We are happy to provide our customers with some easy tips to keep all your pearl jewelry looking its best. If you would ever like your pearl VLM Jewelry professionally cleaned, re-polished and returned to like new condition please contact us.
- Store your pearls flat in a jewelry box but do not store them in air tight bags. Pearls are living organisms, so they need fresh air to breathe from time to time. Take them out of their storage and wear at least once every season, otherwise the color can change over time. A pearl’s surface is not very hard, so it’s easy to be damaged by other pieces of jewelry if you store them together. Wrap your pearls in a soft cloth and store separately. (Never store jewelry in the bathroom.)
- Take care to remove pearl jewelry while cleaning, working out at the gym, playing sports, showering, and sleeping.
- Put on pearl jewelry after applying makeup, lotions, perfume and hair products (pearls can absorb these cosmetics and they can have an erosive effect ruining their luster).
- After each wear, wipe your pearls with a dry cotton or micro-fiber cloth. This is a great way to remove everyday buildup of dirt and oils.
- Clean your pearl jewelry with a soft, clean damp cloth (the cloth should not be dripping wet) only as needed to remove stubborn dirt or build up. Pearls consist of approximately 90% Calcite and 4% water. The water inside the pearl is what keeps the luster intact, so it’s important to retain the water, but too much water can cause fermentation and damage the pearl. Let the pearl dry thoroughly before storing.