Jewellery Care

Feathers

All of our feathers are cruelty-free! Phat Feathers makes durable feather jewellery and accessories but please remember that feathers are a natural material and should be handled with care. By nature no two feathers are the same, which makes all of our feather items unique. Special attention is taken to ensure that feathers match, but customers should be aware that there may be slight differences. If your feathers become bent out of shape, you can easily fix this by using a pair of hair straighteners on a low heat and gently passing the feathers through the tongs. All of our feathers undergo a 3 week cleaning and sterlisation process so that they are completely safe to be worn. Some of our emu (naturally grey) feathers are dyed using RIT fabric dye or tumeric (yellow). All other feathers used at Phat Feathers are not dyed and naturally vibrant.

Silver

Sterling silver will naturally tarnish gradually over time depending on how it is stored and when exposed to humidity and chemicals. For this reason we recommend you save putting on your jewellery until after you have applied any beauty or hair products. You should not swim, shower, bathe or exercise either when wearing your jewellery as this will only increase the oxidisation process and risk damaging them. The best way to help maintain its shine is by wearing your silver jewellery regularly and exposing it to the light. When you need to store it, however, it is best practice to keep your silver items in a cool, dark, dry place separate from one another so that they don't become tangled or scratched and do remember to fasten any chains. To clean your silver jewellery, use a silver polishing cloth (avoiding any contact with the stones or crystals) and gently buff the silver to remove any build up of dirt. Our wire-wrapped jewellery is especially delicate so please take care when doing this so as not to unravel any of the wrapping. Silver can also be cleaned with just a few simple household items: aluminium foil, boiling water and bicarbonate of soda. Watch the video here.

Brass

Over time, your brass jewellery may start to lose its shine and become tarnished, but this can be easily rectified by cleaning with a soft cloth and Brasso. Highly recommend! There are many household items that can achieve the same effect cheaply: vinegar, lemon juice, tomato ketchup. There are many videos with instructions available online.

Silver-Plated Jewellery

We recommend you avoid sunbathing whilst wearing this type of jewellery as extreme temperatures and strong UV rays can cause the colour to fade and lose its original beauty. Do not swim, shower or bathe in this type of jewellery.

Macrame

Our macramé jewellery is made using strong, waxed threads that are waterproof. The jewellery is securely knotted together without glue.

Alpaca Silver

Alpaca silver is a combination of metals formed to create a faux silver metal. This metal is also known as German silver or nickel silver and is made up of nickel, copper, tin and zinc. Due to the copper content (60%), the metal may develop a green tint, known as patina. Polish your Alpaca silver with a metal polishing cloth to remove any tarnish buildup. Normal day-to-day wear keeps the metal from becoming dull. However, exposure to soaps and other cleansers may create a film on the surface. Take care to avoid any gemstones when cleaning and do not submerge in water.

*Please get in touch by email to info@phatfeathers if you require any further guidance or have any questions*