RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE
 

All flowers and other GIYOU products are made using traditional jewellery methods and require careful handling. GIYOU products are made from silver of 925/1000 fineness or gold of 585/1000 (14 carat) gold, 750/1000 (18 carat) gold, or 999/1000 (24 carat) gold. Golden products of 585/1000 (14 carat) gold and 750/1000 (18 carat) gold can be made from yellow, white, or pink gold.

Taking care of silver products

Silver is a metal which naturally oxidises over time. In most cases, oxidisation manifests in a gradual yellowing or darkening of the flower’s surface. This process is natural.

That’s why most GIYOU flowers and other products are galvanised to make their bright colour last as long as possible. Information on galvanising is always listed with the particular products on the website. Galvanising involves the application of a layer of pure silver of the highest fineness (999/1000) and a very thin layer of protective varnish to prevent air from accessing the silver and to delay the natural oxidisation process significantly. If products treated in this manner are stored in a suitable environment, their bright colour will last for a long time.

The galvanising is only temporary, though. You need to follow all instructions to make sure it lasts as long as possible. It is difficult to determine when the coating will disappear but the process of its weakening is significantly affected by the way you handle your product. Do not store your silver products, galvanised or not, in a wet or polluted environment. Galvanised products do not tolerate chemicals well (including sprays, perfumes, other cosmetics, etc.). The galvanising, however, can always be renewed. If you’re interested in having your products re-galvanised, please contact us.

As long as your product retains its original silver colour:

  • Do not treat it preventively with anything;
  • Do not clean it with special cloths or solutions for cleaning silver (you would damage the protective galvanised coating and accelerate the oxidation process);
  • You can softly wipe it with a clean, soft, dry piece of cloth. If you need to remove any dust settled in the flower’s deep crevices or fine details (the pistils, etc.), we recommend using a fine brush to clean the harder-to-reach places;
  • If necessary, use a damp cloth but dry the product thoroughly.

If the product already started oxidising you can either leave it alone (oxidised silver is beautiful as well), or treat it as follows:

  • Use a widely available solution for cleaning silver jewellery. Submerge the jewellery in the solution for six seconds at most (or follow the instructions on the label), then carefully rinse it under running water and dry with a soft paper napkin or a piece of soft textile cloth. Your flowers will be bright silver once again. This is the fastest and most effective cleaning method which, additionally, allows you to reach even the flower’s creases;
  • Products for cleaning silver contain ammonia; we recommend you observe all safety instructions listed in the label. Make especially sure to prevent any contact with your skin or inhalation, ingestion, etc. Also, in our experience, if you leave your product in the cleaner for a long period of time it may lose its shine and need re-polishing;
  • Use a special cloth for cleaning silver. You can apply pressure when cleaning large areas but be careful while cleaning the individual pestils and fine details. You can clean harder-to-reach areas or creases by wrapping the cloth around a toothpick, for example, or by purchasing a jewellery file, though we recommend using only the very soft side (never use the abrasive side);
  • We do not recommend using any other cleaning methods besides the ones listed here (e.g. do not use dish soap, saline solution, etc.);
  • Also, if any part of the product is not made from silver (i.e. includes, for example, precious stones or minerals, etc.), avoid soaking the product in a cleansing bath without first consulting us on the specific product or receiving clear information upon purchase. You need to be careful, and either polish the silver parts with the special cloth mentioned above, or entrust it to an expert.

Silver is a noble metal and needs to be handled carefully due to its softness. Do not store your products in inappropriate places where they could be damaged by other materials, and do not expose them to mechanical pressure. Store your products separately to prevent scratches. Protect them from blows and contact with hard objects.

Taking care of golden products

Gold is also a noble metal and needs to be handled carefully due to its softness. Do not store your products in inappropriate places where they could be damaged by other materials, and do not expose them to mechanical pressure. Store your products separately to prevent scratches. Protect them from blows and contact with hard objects. Additionally, prevent contact with other chemicals, especially chlorine as it might change the golden product’s colour permanently.Gold also experiences a certain level oxidation. An entirely natural process, it is very slow and golden products usually don’t require any special maintenance.

Taking care of products made from yellow gold

Golden GIYOU products made from yellow gold are not galvanised in any way. If your yellow golden products are losing their shine, we recommend you polish the product with a cotton or cleaning cloth or a special jewellery pad soaked in a cleaning solution. You can also purchase various foams or crèmes to clean your gold at home, using a cloth or fine brush. If you would like to clean your golden products even more thoroughly, submerge them in a special solution (available at jewelleries or selected drug stores) to remove any impurities in creases or engravings (always follow the instructions). In very rare cases, the gold can change colour or turn black. If usual cleaning methods yield no results, we’d be glad to help you get the product cleaned professionally. 

Taking care of products made from white gold

White golden GIYOU products have a thin layer of platinum or rhodium (the process is known as “rhodium plating”). The application protects the flowers and makes them appear white. Information on rhodium plating is always listed with the particular products on the website. It is temporary, although it can protect your flowers for a long time. If you’re interested in having your white golden products re-plated, please contact us. The plating will last longer if you refrain from doing the things listed above in the section on the galvanisation of silver GIYOU products. In other regards, we recommend you treat and clean white golden GIYOU products the same as you would products made from yellow gold. However, unless the colour of your product changes, don’t do anything with it besides removing dust, etc.

Taking care of products made from pink gold

GIYOU also makes pink golden products. The pink colour is a result of different metal ratios in the alloys used. Compared to silver, pink gold contains more copper, and the copper content is even higher in red gold. The amount of gold in an alloy always stays the same (585/1000). Additionally, a higher copper content has a positive effect on the product’s hardness. When cleaning such products, employ the same method as you would when cleaning yellow gold.

Taking care of products made from 24 ct gold

The flowers made of 24 carat gold are exceptional and their natural feature is softness. And you have to take this into account when handling, storing and caring for them. For the rest, they are easy to care for. Wipe them occasionally with a soft cloth, cleaning cloth, or gold cotton wool from a jewelry store. For a more thorough cleaning, 24 kt gold products can be soaked in warm water mixed with a few drops of mild liquid soap to remove contaminants. After washing, make sure that each flower is properly dried with a soft cloth. And if you want to entrust their cleaning to a professional, we will be happy to do it for you at any time free of charge.

Product inspection and cleaning

If you would like to make sure your products are fine and have them perfectly cleaned, contact us; we would love to provide you with professional cleaning. You can also contact us if you’re interested in renewing your silver products’ galvanising or the rhodium plating of your white golden products. 

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GIYOU®