Ring Care Guide
Your Aura piece is made to be worn, but a little care goes a long way, especially with silver. This guide covers cleaning, storage, and what to avoid so your jewellery keeps its shine for years.
Quick Links
- Quick Care Tips
- Cleaning & Storage
- Understanding Rhodium Plating
- Understanding Tarnish
- Caring for Your Moissanite & Lab Diamond
- When to Take Off Your Jewellery
- Care FAQ
Quick Care Tips
- Take your rings and bracelets off for anything hands-on: gym, sports, gardening, cleaning.
- Remove jewellery before swimming or showering; chlorine and salt water are especially hard on silver.
- Store silver pieces in an airtight or anti-tarnish pouch, away from rubber bands and unlined leather.
- Give your piece a gentle wipe with a soft polishing cloth after wear to slow tarnish build-up.
- A good habit: jewellery is the last thing you put on, and the first thing you take off.
Cleaning & Storage
How to Clean Your Jewellery at Home
925 Sterling Silver: Using a soft-bristled brush or polishing cloth, gently clean with a bowl of lukewarm water and a few drops of mild, phosphate-free dish soap. Avoid anything abrasive; silver scratches more easily than gold or platinum. Rinse thoroughly and dry immediately with a soft, lint-free cloth, as leaving silver to air-dry can encourage water spotting and tarnish.
960 Silver–Germanium: The same gentle method applies, though you'll find this alloy needs it less often, since its natural tarnish resistance means less frequent polishing to stay bright.
Gold & Platinum: Soak in warm water with a small amount of mild dish soap for a few minutes, then gently brush with a soft toothbrush, focusing behind the setting where dirt collects. Rinse under running water and dry with a lint-free cloth.
All metals: Avoid ultrasonic cleaners at home unless you're confident your stones are securely set; loose stones can be damaged by the vibration. If in doubt, get in touch before cleaning.
Anti-Tarnish Storage for Silver
Because silver reacts with sulphur compounds in the air, how you store it matters as much as how you clean it:
- Use an airtight bag or an anti-tarnish pouch when your piece isn't being worn
- Keep silver away from rubber bands, latex, wool felt, and unlined leather; these materials off-gas sulphur and speed up tarnishing
- Store away from direct humidity or bathroom cabinets, where moisture in the air accelerates the reaction
- If you wear a piece daily, this matters less; regular wear can actually help keep silver bright. It's jewellery left sitting out or stored poorly that tarnishes fastest.
Understanding Rhodium Plating
Our 925 sterling silver pieces are rhodium-plated: a thin layer of rhodium (a bright white, tarnish-resistant metal) is electroplated over the silver to boost shine and slow tarnishing.
Like any plating, it's a surface layer, not a permanent one. With regular wear, it typically thins over 6–18 months, most noticeably on the underside of rings and other high-contact edges, though this is an estimate only. How long it lasts depends entirely on how a piece is worn: someone who wears a ring daily through manual work will see it wear faster than someone who takes it off for hands-on activities.
Once the plating thins, the silver underneath will look slightly duller and tarnish more easily. This is expected wear, not a fault, and a re-plating service will bring back the original brightness.
Our 960 silver–germanium pieces skip this step entirely: the alloy's natural white finish comes from the metal itself, not a coating, so there's no plating layer to wear through.
Understanding Tarnish
Tarnish is the dark or yellowish film that forms when silver reacts with sulphur compounds in the air. It's a normal chemical process, not a defect, and every silver piece will experience it eventually. Common accelerants include:
- Humidity, sea air, and coastal climates
- Perfumes, hairspray, and some cosmetics
- Sulphur-containing foods like eggs and onions (avoid wearing rings while cooking with these)
- Certain skin chemistries; some people's skin naturally accelerates tarnish more than others
Our 960 silver–germanium alloy is significantly more tarnish-resistant than standard sterling, thanks to the germanium content forming a stable protective layer on the metal's surface, but no silver alloy is entirely tarnish-proof. A quick polish with a soft cloth is usually all it takes to restore the shine.
Caring for Your Moissanite & Lab-Grown Diamond
Moissanite and lab-grown diamond are among the hardest gemstones available, which makes them highly resistant to everyday scratching, but hardness isn't the same as being unbreakable. A sharp knock at the wrong angle, particularly along a stone's edge or girdle, can still chip or crack it, regardless of how hard the material is.
Clean your stones the same way as the metal setting: mild soap, warm water, and a soft brush to get behind the setting where buildup collects most. Bezel-set stones (used across our 960 silver range) sit lower and are more protected against knocks than prong-set stones, which hold the stone with more exposed edges.
When to Take Off Your Jewellery
We understand you don't want to take your favourite pieces off, but a few situations are worth the habit.
Heavy Physical Labour & Exercise
Take rings and bracelets off for the gym, lifting, or manual work. Direct pressure and gripping (a barbell, tools, garden equipment) can bend or warp a silver band far more easily than gold or platinum, and can loosen a setting over time.
Swimming & Water
Remove jewellery before the pool, the ocean, or a hot tub. Chlorine and salt water accelerate tarnish and can dull the shine on stones, and cold water can shrink your fingers slightly, increasing the risk of a ring slipping off and getting lost.
Household Chores & Chemicals
Cleaning products (particularly bleach and other harsh chemicals) can pit and discolour silver far faster than gold or platinum. This includes everyday products like hand sanitiser and high-concentration sunscreens. Gardening and dishwashing also carry a risk of scratches and impact damage.
Getting Dressed & Undressing
One of the most common (and easily avoided) causes of damage: jewellery catching on a sleeve, jumper, or scarf while dressing or undressing, then getting pulled against the snag. This is a frequent cause of bent prongs, warped bands, and stretched or broken clasps. Take rings and bracelets off before changing, especially with fitted clothing.
Sleeping
Rings and bracelets can catch on bedding, hair, or clothing overnight, which can loosen a setting or bend a band. Keep a ring dish or pouch on your nightstand so it's easy to remember where you left it.
Care FAQ
Can I shower or wear my jewellery in the pool?
We'd recommend against it. Soap, shampoo, and chlorine can leave residue that dulls your stone's sparkle, and repeated exposure accelerates tarnish on silver.
Why has my silver ring gone dark or dull?
That's tarnish: a natural reaction between silver and sulphur compounds in the air, not a fault with the piece. A gentle polish with a soft cloth usually restores the shine; see our cleaning steps above.
How long does rhodium plating last?
Typically 6–18 months with regular wear, though this varies a lot person to person depending on how the piece is worn and handled. See our plating section above for more detail.
Is 960 silver–germanium better than regular sterling silver?
It's significantly more tarnish- and scratch-resistant, and doesn't need rhodium plating, thanks to its higher purity and germanium content. It's still a fine-silver alloy, so the same general care advice applies.
Can my ring be resized later?
Most solid gold styles can be resized down the track (a small charge applies to keep our prices fair). For sterling silver rings, we gently recommend against resizing: the process affects the rhodium plating, and restoring that bright white finish means an extra re-plating step and charge. It's why we love helping you get the size perfect the first time. Use our Ring Size Guide, choose "Select Later" when ordering, or just reach out; we're always happy to help.
How often should I clean my jewellery?
Every few weeks for pieces worn daily is a good baseline. More often for silver in humid climates, less for occasional wear.
Should I get my ring professionally checked?
We'd recommend an annual check for any piece worn daily, to catch a loosening setting before a stone is lost.
What's covered if something goes wrong?
Genuine manufacturing defects are covered under our Manufacturing Warranty. Normal wear and tear, like the items above, isn't covered, but we're always happy to help with a repair quote.
What should I do if my jewellery is damaged?
Get in touch at shop@aura-diamonds.com.au with a photo of the issue, and we'll advise on next steps, whether that's a warranty claim or a repair.