At Otis B, we use 100% sterling silver. Sterling silver is prone to tarnish over time. However, this does not mean your jewelry is damaged or faulty in any way. Tarnish is easily removed! Use the complimentary polishing cloth to lightly rub the jewelry and the tarnish will come right off. Be careful not to pull or tug on wrapped gemstones or delicate chains so they don't stretch or break. Tarnish (dull discoloration) is a naturally occuring chemical reaction on the surface of some precious metals that is caused by exposure to oxygen and hydrogen sulfide. All jewelry comes in contact with air, and hydrogen sulfide is found in paper like the boxes and paper your jewelry is shipped in. Humidity makes silver tarnish even faster. There is nothing that will completely prevent tarnishing, but we do the best we can to help our customers minimize it on their jewelry by included the anti-tarnish bag and polishing cloth with your order.
Oxidized sterling silver is produced by a process of intentionally tarnishing/darkening or "antiquing" the silver in a sulfur bath, then the silver is buffed and polished to reveal the texture and details of the piece. Some of our products offer oxidization as an option. This color will not fade away or transfer. Oxidization is permanent.
Our gold items are made with 14k gold fill. The term gold filled means that it is a solid layer of pure gold(14k), bonded to a base metal such as brass, but wears like solid gold. It is also hypo-allergenic and safe for jewelry wearers. There are a few components that we use that are unavailable in gold and we have substituted a high polish bronze or vermeil (14k gold over sterling silver) piece instead, but it will be clearly stated in the listing when these are used. Our products are nickel-free and hypo allergenic.
If your jewelry is not going to be worn or gifted immediately, remove it from the box. Store it in the special anti-tarnish baggie provided and if possible, inside another sealed plastic bag with the air squeezed out. This is the BEST way to keep your jewelry looking bright before gifting. Place it back in the boxes just before you plan to present it. If you are gifting them far in the future, notify us first if possible and we can wait till closer to your gifting date to create your jewelry.