Care FAQ
Care FAQ
Solid 925 sterling silver is durable but alive. It darkens, brightens, and records the body that wears it. The answers below explain how to keep a DYSKINESIAA piece in the condition you want, and how to read the changes that come whether you want them or not.
How do I clean my 925 sterling silver piece?
Use a soft polishing cloth made for sterling silver. Wipe in straight lines along the grain of the metal, never in circles. For pieces with deep recesses or oxidized passages, a soft toothbrush with warm water and a drop of mild dish soap reaches into the cast detail. Dry immediately with a lint-free cloth. Avoid silver dips, ultrasonic baths, and abrasive pastes, which will erase the subtle finishes the atelier applied by hand.
How do I prevent tarnishing on silver?
Tarnish is the reaction of copper at the surface with sulfur in the air. To slow it, store the piece in a sealed bag with a small anti-tarnish strip, and keep it away from rubber, wool, and direct sunlight. Skin oils help, daily wear actually keeps silver brighter than long storage. Remove pieces before swimming pools, hot springs, and perfumes, the chemicals there accelerate the reaction more than ordinary air ever will.
How should I store my DYSKINESIAA pieces?
Each piece arrives in an FSC-certified box with a cotton dust pouch. Keep using both. Store the pouch inside a drawer away from heat sources, radiators, and bathroom humidity. Pieces should never touch each other directly in storage, silver scratches silver. If you own several DYSKINESIAA objects, give each its own pouch. The leather cradle inside the original box is also a stable home if you prefer to keep the set together.
Can I wear my piece in the shower or pool?
Showering with silver occasionally is acceptable, hot water and shampoo will not damage it, though they will speed up tarnish over months. Swimming is different. Chlorine in pools and salt in the sea both attack the copper in the alloy and can pit the surface permanently. Hot tubs are the worst case. Take pieces off before any of these. For Skin collection pieces with leather or resin, keep them dry whenever possible.
Can a piece be resized?
Most rings can be resized within one size up or one size down. Beyond that, the proportions of the cast piece begin to suffer and a new commission is more honest than a stretched original. Resizing is offered by the atelier at a fixed fee and takes one to two weeks. Pieces with continuous cast textures, such as snakeskin patterns, are harder to resize cleanly and the studio will advise on a case-by-case basis.
Do you offer a polish service?
Yes. Any DYSKINESIAA piece can return to the atelier for a full hand re-polish at any point in its life. The piece is cleaned, re-finished to its original specification, and the original signature stamp is checked. The polish service costs a flat fee that covers labor and return shipping. Pieces that have developed a patina the wearer has grown attached to can also be partially polished, lifting the high points only.
Do you offer a repair service?
Yes, for the lifetime of the piece. Bent shanks, snapped fasteners, lost stones, damaged leather, and cracked resin can all be addressed at the atelier. Costs are quoted after the piece arrives and the repair is scoped. Where a major recasting is needed the studio is candid, sometimes a fresh commission is the better answer than a structural rebuild. Every repair is logged so the history of the piece stays continuous.
Do you have a lifetime guarantee?
The formal guarantee against manufacturing defects covers two years from purchase. Beyond that, DYSKINESIAA practices a lifetime relationship rather than a lifetime guarantee. The atelier services every piece it has ever made, at cost. The distinction matters, a guarantee promises free repairs you may never use, a relationship promises that the studio will still be there in ten years to look after the object you bought today.
How does leather age over time on hybrid pieces?
The vegetable-tanned leather used on certain Skin collection pieces darkens and softens with wear. Skin oils, sunlight, and friction shift the leather toward deeper, warmer tones over months. This is the intended life of the material. To slow the change, keep the piece dry and away from direct sun in storage. To accelerate it, wear the piece daily. The leather is replaceable at the atelier when its time comes.
How does the resin age on Skin Collection pieces?
The transparent resin that encases real shed snakeskin is engineered for stability. It will not yellow noticeably under normal indoor light over a decade of wear. Long exposure to direct UV, however, can shift it toward a faint amber tone, which some collectors prefer. The resin is hard but not indestructible, sharp impacts can chip the surface. Cracked or chipped resin can be re-poured at the atelier without disturbing the silver around it.