Does Vivienne Westwood jewellery tarnish? What you should know
We hear this question often, and online it is asked even more bluntly: why does a bracelet costing over €200 turn dark after a few months? The honest answer starts with the material.
In a nutshell
- Most Vivienne Westwood jewellery is plated, not solid silver or gold.
- Plating wears with friction, sweat, perfume and water. Then the metal underneath shows.
- A few habits keep the shine much longer.
What is Vivienne Westwood jewellery made of?
Vivienne Westwood mostly uses plated metals for its jewellery. The surface is, for example, platinum or gold plated, and the core is a different metal. Our two current bracelets say so on the label: the Amelia bracelet with cream pearls and the Rigoberta pearl bracelet have a silver-coloured platinum plating. You pay for design, the Orb and craftsmanship, not for precious metal.
Is tarnishing a defect?
Plating is thin. Where the jewellery rubs, at the clasp, the edges and the inside of a ring, it gets thinner over time. Sweat, perfume, creams and chlorinated water speed this up. A light patina after many months of wear is therefore normal. It is different if stones come loose or a clasp breaks after a few days. Then write to us at store@aboutalexa.de and we will look at it together.
How to keep the shine longer
- Put jewellery on last: after perfume, cream and hairspray.
- Take it off before showering, swimming and sport.
- Wipe it with a soft, dry cloth after wearing.
- Store each piece separately and dry, ideally in the pouch it came in.
- No silver polishing cloths or pastes: they remove the plating.
Real or fake?
Vivienne Westwood is one of the most counterfeited labels. On second-hand platforms many people only ask after buying whether their piece is real. If you want to be sure, buy from a shop you know and, if in doubt, ask for photos of the label, engraving and packaging.
Our advice
If you want to wear the same jewellery every day, including in the shower, plated jewellery is not the right choice. If you wear it as a statement and look after it a little, you will enjoy it for a long time. You will find every piece in the Vivienne Westwood collection, and in our store on Brauhausstraße 3-5 you can hold them in your hand.
