Caring for your locket from the Locket Sisters is easier than you might expect, thanks largely to our unique process of protecting each photograph with a clear protective resin. This process not only secures the photograph permanently in place, but also prevents moisture, dirt and the aging effects of time from damaging your keepsake locket. 

Our lockets are largely sterling silver and gold vermeil, which is a term used for applying gold layers to silver jewelry. In our case, the layering is heavy, 3 microns to be exact, which is why our gold vermeil lockets generally keep their gold hue permanently. We also have lockets that come in 14k solid gold, which is 58.5% solid gold mixed with a hardener like silver, copper or zinc, also allowing the possibility of tarnish but never fading. Lastly, some of our open lockets come in an alloy-based base with sterling silver or 24k gold plating on top. The metals we use vary based on styles and manufacturers we love and have worked with for years.

All of our lockets are hypo-allergenic, and can stand occasional moisture. We do not recommend showering with your locket. Getting it wet will not ruin it, but as with most metal and subsequently most jewelry, the less moisture you expose it to, the better it will keep. 

One of the best protectors against tarnish for your locket is actually your skin's natural oils! This means wearing your locket is the best thing for it! Feels divine, doesn't it?

THE BASICS: CARING FOR YOUR LOCKET

WEAR IT

Really, wear your locket. One of the best protections from tarnish on metal is the oil our skin naturally produces. A couple weeks ago I found an old Gold Dorothy locket hanging with all my necklaces at home, and it had many dark spots on the locket and chain. I didn't have any jewelry cleaner or polishing cloths at home, so I decided to test the "your skin's oils are the best protection for your jewelry" and to my surprise, the dark spots were nearly all gone within one week. I finished it off with our polishing cloth, and it looks good as new!

POLISH IT REGULARLY

Using the polishing cloth you received with your locket, or one you've bought from us or elsewhere, remove excess dirt and unnecessary oils from your locket and chain. This prevents dirt from clogging the wires in your chain, and subsequently prevents it from breakage, and also keeps it looking nice. Often, you'll notice a dark mark on the polishing cloth when you're wiping it clean. This is a normal chemical reaction, and not actual dirt coming off. You can continue to use your polishing cloth even with dark marks on it. 

AVOID GETTING IT WET OFTEN

Generally, we advise against showering with your locket. The photo(s) inside your locket will remain protected if your locket gets wet, but it's more complicated than that. For example, your silver locket will remain silver, but will assuredly lose some shine and luster if you're regularly wearing it in the shower or swimming with it in lakes and pools. As for our gold vermeil lockets, each one is heavily wrapped in 14k gold, 3 microns of 14k gold on sterling silver to be exact, and this warm hue of gold will last years and years if well-cared for. On the flip side, getting our gold vermeil lockets consistently wet will wear off the 14k gold vermeil quicker. As for 14k solid gold, it will never lose it's hue but it may lose it's shine and luster, much like silver.

So again, while never taking your locket off won't ruin your locket per se, it will certainly last much longer, and remain at a higher quality, if you avoid getting it wet.

CLEAN IT

We listed our preferred jewelry-cleaning products below, both for lockets (that we use every day in the studio) and for permanent jewelry too. For lockets that are showing significant tarnishing, or darkening of the metal, we recommend the stronger Connoisseurs jewelry cleaner, as it's a powerful tool for polishing jewelry. If your locket simply needs a shine and rinse, we recommend Shinery's products as they're gentler for your skin, and on the metal, too.

Here are direct links to purchase these products via our affiliate link on Amazon:

• Connoisseurs Silver Jewelry Cleaner (for silver): https://amzn.to/3UqpZCO
• Connoisseurs Fine Jewelry Cleaner (for gold): https://amzn.to/48tKXXo
• Shinery Radiance Jewelry Wash (for all jewelry): https://amzn.to/3YDNsCW
• Shinery Radiance Towelettes (best for permanent jewelry or travel): https://amzn.to/3NI3oOh
• Shop ALL Shinery Products: https://amzn.to/48riRfp

STORE IT WELL

There are, inevitably, days you won't wear your locket. For that, we recommend having a jewelry box made specifically for silver or gold jewelry, which prevents the oxidation that creates tarnish on your locket. On that note, maybe we need to start offering one...

CONNOISSEURS

When finishing your lockets, we use a powerful metal cleaner in the final step of our process. This product is called Connoisseurs and it can be found at local jewelry stores, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart, and even right here on Amazon with our affiliate link. We recommend using this product  when your jewelry is heavily tarnished and needs a strong cleanup from the chemical reaction that occurs on sterling silver when it interacts with sulfur-containing gases in the air, which you'll encounter just by living life. Connoisseurs has multiple products, and we specifically use their "Fine" jewelry clean for all gold-containing lockets and jewelry with stones, and their "Silver" clear for sterling silver lockets.

   

 

 

SHINERY 

The next jewelry cleaner we recommend is from a fantastic woman-owned small business called the Shinery, whose commitment to disrupt the status quo of harsh chemicals in jewelry cleaning products resulted in the creation of a beautiful cleanser that's easy on your skin, and gentle-but-effective for your jewelry, too.  Consider this the kind of product that sits in your bathroom not just as en effective tool for keeping your jewelry free from the dirt and grime collected through living life, but as a beautiful display that you consider leaving out when guests come over because the packaging is so elegant.

The Shinery's signature jewelry cleaner -- dubbed "Jewelry Wash" -- is also incredibly effective for permanent jewelry, especially because it never comes off, which makes dunking it in a jar of cleaner impossible. Cleaning your permanent bracelets, necklaces, rings and anklets with Luxury Jewelry Cleaner is especially easy to remember when you simply keep the cleaner right in your shower.