Care for my antiqued (oxidized) sterling and Bakelite jewelry is easy. Just use a soft polishing cloth to clean excess tarnish from the metal. Do not use jewelry cleaner or silver polish; they will damage the metal's oxidized finish.

Bakelite is very durable and needs little care. Over time it will, like most materials, develop fine surface scratches from wear. If you wish to renew the finish, Simichrome polish works beautifully.

Some colors of Bakelite will change as they are exposed to UV light and a patina develops. For instance, white will turn to what collectors call butterscotch. Pink will turn peachy. Blue will turn blue-green or green. Some colors, like red, orange, and green, will show little or no change.

This is all part of the normal aging process. The patina is like a skin; it can be sanded off, returning the Bakelite to its original color. However, most collectors choose to simply polish with Simichrome. It cleans and adds a sheen to the Bakelite's surface, but does not remove the patina.