General:

Many of the items supplied by KDV Designs Limited come with specific care instructions from the designer. These should always be followed in the first instance. Some more general guidelines are given below.

Jewellery Care:

All precious metals and jewellery require some care to stay at their best. The main thing to avoid is tarnish which occurs naturally on any metal. This is as a result of exposure to the air and moisture but in particular to chemicals including those in your skin.
Avoid contact with perfume and cosmetics as much as possible - simply put on your jewellery last before you go out and take it off first when you come home.
For shiny silver and gold we would recommend a specialist, non-abrasive cleaning cloth which should be rubbed over the shiny parts of the piece only and only when necessary.
If your jewellery becomes wet, allow it to dry naturally at room temperature before polishing.
Do not use a silver cloth on satin-finished silver. Use a standard, clean, soft, white pencil eraser and rub gently on the satin finish.
We do not recommend the use of "dip" style cleaning products since these can have a loosening effect on stone settings and/or stringing. This can also apply to ultra-sonic cleaners available for home use.
The best treatment for gemstones is to gently brush with mild, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry wrapped in a soft, lint-free cloth.
It is possible to clean silver beaded jewellery by dusting it lightly with bicarbonate of soda. Leave for a few hours and then carefully polish off. Do not use this method if the item contains pearls.
By far the best method is to wipe your jewellery very briefly and gently with a clean, lint-free cloth after each wearing. Often, that is the only cleaning it will ever need.

Care of Leather Goods:

The leather used in products from KDV Designs is of the highest quality and requires very little care. In fact, one of the features of such high-quality leather is that it contains natural marks and grains which will age gracefully, adding to the beauty of the piece.
As protection from inclement weather, a proprietary leather spray can be used but be sure to follow the directions carefully.
Should your leather become very wet, never attempt to dry it since water marks may be caused. Allow it to dry naturally and then treat with a quality leather-cream applied with a soft, lint-free cloth. A high-quality leather cream will help protect and restore suppleness but should only be used very occasionally and only when necessary.

Care of Zips and fastenings:

We ensure that all items from our designers use only very high quality fittings. These should normally need no treatment. Occasionally, metal zips may benefit from a very light rubbing with a product such as petroleum jelly or light olive oil to aid their movement but this should be done only very lightly, when absolutely necessary and with great care not to touch surrounding materials.

Care of Silk, Satin and Organza:

Our designs feature only the very best quality silks etc. which will retain their beauty for many years. Such beautiful materials require special treatment and must only be dry-cleaned by a specialist. Only very light marks may be removed by the careful use of a clean, un-dyed, damp cloth.

Care of Gilded, gold-leaf and ceramic items:

Please refer to any specialist care instructions supplied with your items.