FAQs

How should I care for my clay jewelry?

The gold findings we use are 18k gold-plated. Gold-plated means there is a base metal to help fortify the strength of the hardware, since pure gold is a soft metal. In most cases, the base metal is brass or copper which are both prone to tarnishing.

To help preserve your handmade polymer clay jewelry:

  • Avoid wearing your polymer clay jewelry while applying perfume, hairspray, or any other aerosol products.
  • Avoid getting your jewelry wet so please remove before bathing, swimming, or exercising.
  • Do not wear your jewelry when working with household cleaners, chemicals, or solvents.
  • Avoid using any commercial jewelry cleaning machines or products as they can be too harsh, which may compromise the design and/or the durability of the jewelry.
  • Take care not to drop polymer clay jewelry, as it may break just like any other clay, ceramic, or glass object.
  • To clean polymer clay jewelry, wipe it off with a piece of soft fabric.
  • Try to avoid contact with makeup. If you do get makeup on your jewelry, wipe it off gently with a soft cloth or baby wipe. Use mild soap if necessary.
  • When not in use, store polymer clay jewelry in a box or a separate compartment. Humidity can accelerate tarnishing of hardware, so storing jewelry in an enclosed container helps protect metals from oxidizing prematurely. We also suggest not keeping jewelry in the bathroom, which tend to get humid.
  • It is best to remove your clay jewelry before sleeping in order to extend the life of your jewels.

To ‘revive’ the hardware, you can place the hardware (carefully detach from the clay pieces by twisting open the jump rings, if any) in lukewarm water with mild soap (not antibacterial soap, as some of the chemicals may cause more tarnishing) and gently wipe with a microfiber cloth. Pat dry.

What materials do you use? Is it heavy?

All of our jewelry is mostly made out of polymer clay which is a non-toxic, PVC-based medium. We like using polymer clay because it is a light weight material, yet durable, so depending on the size and style of the jewelry, it can weigh anywhere between 1 - 10 oz. In most cases, each jewelry piece will weigh less than one pound. We always use hypoallergenic hardware so the ears are happy. :)

How big are your earrings?

We always try to have at least one product photo of someone wearing the earrings so you can get a sense of the size. But we always list the measurements in each listing. Whenever we try-on any products we always sanitize the earrings before selling them. Or we keep them for ourselves :)

How is your jewelry made? Are all of the pieces the same?

All of our jewelry is handcrafted so each piece is unique. We try to capture most of the variations of the products in the listing photos so please know that you might not get the exact same pattern or colors as the photos. For example, if there is a product with red, white, and blue colors, you might not get an even distribution of all colors; some might have more red and others more blue - that is the beauty of working with polymer clay! As makers, we control as much as we can but sometimes clay transforms beautifully into different works of art! 

Where do you ship your products?

Currently we ship to the US, and hope to be able to accommodate international shipping in the near future! Please reference our Shipping Policy on our Store Policies page for more info!

Can you accommodate custom orders?

Please contact us at info@pinwheelclay.com for inquiries about customized, bulk orders.