Care Tips

Congratulations on your purchase. Show your new Jewellery and Bags love, and they will love you back! We suggest you take the following steps to best care for your new purchase.

Plated Jewellery

Plated jewellery is made by covering a base metal, with a layer of silver or even gold. Since the silver or gold layer is a thin layer it can be reactive with the base metal if care is not met when wearing the item. 

Here are some tips on caring for your plated piece
- Keep plated jewellery away from hard surfaces. Bumps and scratches will cause the layer to wear away faster.
- Store in a velvet lined jewellery box, or wrap it in a soft material that will prevent scratches.
- Use a non-abrasive jewellery polishing cloth and gently rub the plated jewellery to restore shine.
- Try to keep pieces apart, so that they don’t rub together or tangle up.
- Wear plated jewellery for appropriate tasks; avoid wearing rings when cleaning, gardening or performing sports activities.
- Don’t let your plated jewellery come into contact with nail polish removers, perfume and hairspray.
- Never go swimming in your plated jewellery, chlorine in swimming pools can cause damage

Sterling Silver Jewellery

Sterling Silver may tarnish and oxidise. Tarnish is a natural process that causes a discolouration on silver jewellery and other precious metals. Over time silver tarnish will occur due to exposure to materials containing sulphur and acids (such as those found in sweat and skin oils) combined with other tarnishing agents such as oxygen, moisture and high humidity. It is important to clean your silver jewellery regularly to help prevent any discolouration.

Avoid wearing silver jewellery in swimming pools as chlorine can damage sterling silver in a short time. Contact with water, especially chlorinated or salt water is especially damaging to silver. Also avoid wearing silver while exercising as this will cause sweat and other toxins which can contribute to tarnish. Silver polishes and dips may contain harmful chemicals. Follow instructions and heed the manufacturer's warnings. Remember, silver scratches easily so always use the softest cloth you can find to polish silver. Don't rub silver with anything other than a polishing cloth or fine piece of felt.

Remember to store your jewellery in a safe and secure place. Avoid dust, moisture and direct light to ensure your jewellery does not tarnish and discolour. When wearing, simply follow the golden rule “Last On / First Off’. Put jewellery on last so that it is not sprayed with perfumes and hairspray. Take it off first, before your clothing and before going to bed to avoid it being snagged or crushed. Silver is a soft metal; therefore be gentle as jewellery can bend or break under excessive force. Gemstones can also scratch, crack or chip if dropped. Be sure to follow our advice and you can enjoy your silver jewellery for years to come!

Costume Jewellery

Wear these pieces to spice up any outfit, anytime of the day. All our pieces are crafted using beads, mixed metals, semi-precious stones and chains. No two items are identical – that’s the unique and most exciting part!  Remember to always keep them stored separately and away from perfume, moisturiser and hairspray. These pieces are not as durable as sterling silver and are to be treated more delicately. If there is damage due to the pieces being dropped, mistreated/carelessly worn or stored wrong Mocha will not take responsibility.

Store these items in the pouches you received with it when not being worn. Natural wear and exposure to skin, moisture, hairspray or perfume will lead to colour change from the products original colour. All earring hooks and stems are nickel free if not sterling silver.

Faux Leather Bags

Our non-leather bags are made from the highest quality PVC, making your bag light and durable. Avoid coming into contact with sharp objects and corners, as you don’t want to damage the material because of careless wear. Give your bag a wipe down with a damp clear coloured cloth. Please be mindful that lighter coloured bags are prone to absorbing other dyes from clothing (like denims), so take care when wearing them together.

Beaded

This item is a treasure of someone’s time, skill and artistic talent.

Please do not over-fill with large heavy objects as it will eventually lose its original shape. The style of this bag is not designed to hold heavy objects as it does not have a leather or PVC backing to keep its shape. This bag is designed to drape and not sit stiff.

The threading/beading work as well as the fabrics is very soft and fragile. It must be kept away from sharp objects as this will cause the threading to snap and eventually beads will fall off. Take care not to leave it on the floor when out as hard floor surfaces would also catch and cause threads to come loose. This is not covered by manufacturers warranty.

When you are not using your bag you may store it flat by neatly folding it. Do not hang it on a hanger as this will cause them to snag.

Just give your new beaded bag a little love and care and you will enjoy using it for years to come.

Genuine Leather Bags

We recommend that all leather products are initially sprayed using a leather protector and is conditioned from time to time. A leather protector will help prevent light colour leathers from absorbing other dyes and should be kept out of direct sunlight.

Leathers are designed to naturally age with time. Little imperfections and differences in the leather is what makes it unique and ultimately yours! This is not considered a fault and should not be treated as one.  Lighter leather is prone to absorbing other dyes from clothing (like denims), so take care when wearing them together. Majority of leathers can be cleaned using the right product that is suitable for the leather. Shoe repairers are a great place to get the best recommendation. Generally we ask that you test a smaller area before applying it all over the product. That way if there is a colour change or you are not happy, you can seek an alternative product.

When storing your purchases, we recommend that you use the care bags that the product originally comes in. This allows the leather to breathe and maintain its feel and condition, while being protected when not in use.

We suggest that you do not over fill your bag/wallet etc. Each product is created to hold a certain weight and should not exceed this.

Please treat your products with respect and it will wear accordingly. Mocha is not liable for misused products.

Other Bits

Fabric - It is recommended to regularly Scotchguard or waterproof spray the outer fabrics on your bag, wallet or belt. Always follow the instructions of the product you are using and test the product in an inconspicuous area first. Be careful not to saturate fabric with Scotchguard, as it may leave marks on leather. To clean a mark on fabric, the area can be lightly sponged with a weak wool wash solution. Sponge the whole panel lightly to prevent watermarking. Scotchguard area after it has dried. Do not rub extensively over a hand printed area.

Hardware – Try to prevent the hardware from getting wet.