The ancient civilisations discovered that by creating an alloy of copper and tin, bronze was formed. Historians later gave its name to an entire era (The Bronze Age – 3700-2000 BC). This was a time of great craftsmanship and experimentation within jewellery. Since then bronze has been used by many cultures and is still a popular choice for jewellery designers.

My jewellery is predominantly cast in solid bronze, which is a beautiful metal to work with and when polished gives a lovely soft golden colour. It is very easy to care for, but it can dull in colour with regular wear. 

Bronze will naturally oxidise with regular wear and can develop a patina or dullness over time. This can be removed using a simple jewellery polishing cloth or dip. To keep your Studio Rua jewellery looking its best avoid spraying perfume or putting lotion on the skin near the jewellery. Remove jewellery before swimming or bathing. Keep it stored in a cool and dry area. 

A good natural method to keep your bronze jewellery clean is to mix equal parts lemon juice with baking soda, mix, then add your jewellery and leave for 10-15 minutes or as long as required. Brush with a soft toothbrush and dry thoroughly.

A small note on the gold-filled chains and findings I use in all the Studio Rua pieces:

"Gold filled" comprises a solid layer of gold (14k) permanently bonded to a base metal, such as brass. The minimum layer of gold must equal at least 1/20th the weight of the total item. It is very hard wearing and under normal wear the gold will not peel or flake, unlike gold plate and is commonly used as a more economical alternative to pure gold.

All the metals I work with (bronze, silver and 9ct gold) are recycled and the bronze doesn't contain nickel.