Care Guide
How to keep bronze, silver and gold plate looking the way they arrived, or better.
Bronze
Handle it. The patina is meant to move: the recesses stay dark and the high points brighten with use. To clean, use a soft dry cloth. Never use metal polish, brass cleaner or anything abrasive; they strip the patina from the recesses and leave the piece flat and shiny.
Silver
Silver tarnishes slowly in open air. Keep the piece in its case when it is not out, and wipe it with the polishing cloth from the box when the mirror dulls. Do not use liquid silver dip on The Moon Tide or The Astrolabe: it lifts the oxidised field that makes the design read.
Gold plate
The rete of The Astrolabe is gold plated. A dry cloth is all it needs. Keep it away from perfume, hand cream and chlorine.
The rete
Turn it with a fingertip, from the outer ring. Do not lift it, pry it or try to remove the pin.
Cases and boxes
Velvet and silk pick up dust. A soft brush or a lint roller takes it off. The walnut box is finished with oil and wax: keep it out of direct sun, and re-oil the outside once a year with a drop of mineral oil on a cloth.
Displaying
Out of direct sunlight, away from radiators, and off the kitchen counter. A closed cabinet or the case it came in is ideal. If you want to hang a piece, use a proper coin capsule and holder, and never drill the piece.
If something goes wrong
A dropped piece, a scratched mirror, a stiff rete: email coton640@gmail.com with a photo. Some things we can fix, some we can replace, and we will tell you which straight away.
Last updated September 25, 2026. Lodestar Mint is a trade name of KERCOT SCALE LLC.