Care & repair
Every Wouters & Hendrix design is conceived as a modern heirloom to enjoy for decades and to pass down through generations. We are at your disposal to keep your treasures looking their best and to mend them when necessary.
REQUEST A REPAIR OR RESIZING
If your beloved jewel gets damaged, wears out, has a missing part, or needs resizing, our team of goldsmiths in the Antwerp atelier will go to great lengths to mend it. Our services include cleaning, polishing, repairing, and professional resizing, all catered to the needs of your treasured piece.
We accept products for servicing via the Wouters & Hendrix boutiques or by post.
To submit a repair request by post, please follow the steps below:
- Request: Get started by completing the online contact form. Make sure to describe the issue in detail.
- Assessment: Once our atelier has assessed your request, we will send you an estimated price based on your description. For more information on our warranty policy, read below.
- Confirmation: If you agree with the estimated price, you can send your item to our Antwerp atelier by post. The address will be provided to you upon approval of the price quotation.
- Repair: Our team of goldsmiths in our Antwerp atelier will happily repair and polish your item.
- Return: After a final quality control, you will receive an invoice via email. Your item will be shipped back to you after payment.
WARRANTY POLICY
Every Wouters & Hendrix jewel is crafted with great care. Your jewellery is covered by the statutory legal warranty, which protects you against any defect or other lack of conformity that becomes apparent within two years of delivery.
If you discover a defect or other lack of conformity, please notify us within two months of discovering it. Under the legal warranty, you are entitled, in the first instance, to a free repair or replacement, subject to what is possible and reasonable. In certain circumstances provided by law, you may instead be entitled to a price reduction or termination of the sales contract.
The legal warranty does not cover normal wear and tear consistent with the nature, materials, age and normal use of the jewel, or damage resulting from improper use, accidents or failure to follow our care instructions. Depending on the jewel, gradual signs of use such as minor surface scratches or changes to finishes or plating may constitute normal wear and tear. This does not affect your statutory rights where such deterioration constitutes a lack of conformity under applicable law.
If your jewel has previously been repaired, resized, altered or otherwise worked on by another jeweller or third party, this does not in itself affect your statutory warranty rights. However, the legal warranty does not cover defects or damage which Wouters & Hendrix demonstrates were caused by, or resulted from, such third-party intervention. If your jewel requires repair, resizing or alteration, we recommend contacting us before having any work carried out by a third party. Costs for repairs, resizing, alterations or other work carried out by third parties are not reimbursed by Wouters & Hendrix, without prejudice to your statutory rights.
To make a warranty claim, please contact us via our contact form, by e-mail at customer.service@wouters-hendrix.com, or visit one of our boutiques. Please provide your proof of purchase or other evidence of your purchase, together with a brief description of the issue. Photographs may help us make an initial assessment of your request. However, please note that our goldsmiths must always physically inspect the jewel before we can provide a final assessment and, where applicable, a definitive repair quotation.
Where a repair or replacement is covered by the legal warranty, it will be provided free of charge, including shipping costs. Repairs or other services that are not covered by the legal warranty may be carried out subject to a quote.
For full details of your statutory warranty rights, please see Article 9 of our Terms & Conditions.
HALLMARK GUIDE
Hallmarking requirements vary by country, depending on where the jewellery is purchased.
Netherlands: According to Dutch regulations, jewellery made of silver (from 8 grams), gold (from 1 gram), or platinum (from 0.5 grams) must carry a hallmark recognised in the Netherlands. Jewellery below these weight thresholds is exempt from this requirement.
All Wouters & Hendrix jewellery sold in our Amsterdam boutique complies with these legal requirements and, where required, is hallmarked by WaarborgHolland, an independent assay office authorised by the Dutch government. This hallmark certifies the precious metal content and purity of the jewellery. Click here for the official hallmark overview (in Dutch).
United Kingdom: According to UK regulations, jewellery made of gold or palladium (from 1 gram), silver (from 7.78 grams), or platinum (from 0.5 grams) must carry a UK hallmark. Jewellery below these weight thresholds is exempt from this requirement.
All Wouters & Hendrix jewellery sold in our Liberty London boutique complies with these legal requirements and, where required, is hallmarked by the London Assay Office (Goldsmiths' Company), one of the UK's four official assay offices. This hallmark certifies the precious metal content and purity of the jewellery. Click here for the official hallmark overview.
CARE GUIDE
Every Wouters & Hendrix design is conceived as a modern heirloom to enjoy for decades and to pass down through generations. As the precious materials we love to work with require specific care, we have summarised our best tips in a care guide. If you have more questions or are unsure about cleaning your treasures yourself, our team is here to help. Stop by one of our boutiques or reach out via the contact form to discuss your care questions. We regularly organise ‘Get it polished’ moments in our boutiques. Leave your details here to stay in the know of our in-store programme.
How to keep your jewels shining?
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Remember this golden rule: wear more, clean less. Friction, caused while wearing your jewellery, will give impurities less chance to adhere to the surface.
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Jewellery and perspiration are no friends. Remove your pieces before hitting the gym.
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Cleaning the house? Hide your treasures. The chemicals in cleaning agents can damage your jewellery.
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Always apply perfume, sunscreen, and hairspray before putting on your jewellery.
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Chlorine, shampoo, soap, and salt water can all tarnish your jewellery. Remove your jewels before taking a shower or jumping in the pool or ocean.
How to store your jewels?
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Silver oxidises naturally due to air, light, and humidity. Therefore, keep your jewellery in a dark and dry place and banish your jewellery box from the bathroom.
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Keep each piece separately to prevent scratching and tangling. Keep the original jewellery boxes, or wrap each piece individually in a soft tissue.
How to clean your sterling silver jewels?
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Tarnished sterling silver jewellery can be carefully polished with a toothbrush and a mild, preferably natural, dish soap. Handle with extra care when cleaning jewellery with gemstones and pearls.
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For silver and gold-plated jewellery, occasional cleaning with a special cloth (available in our boutiques) will keep the silver shiny and remove oxidation.
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Brightening up your silver pieces with a silver dip solution (available in our boutiques) can be helpful too. Gently rinse after dipping with warm water. You can also clean your gold-plated jewellery in this way, but this will not restore the gold layer. For this, we recommend a re-gilding, which you can also request in our boutiques.
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Still no luck? Stop by one of our boutiques or reach out via the contact form to discuss your care questions. We regularly organise ‘Get it polished’ moments in our boutiques. Leave your details here to stay in the know of our in-store programme. We are happy to help.
How to clean your 18 ct. gold jewels?
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Tarnished 18 ct. gold jewellery can be carefully polished with a toothbrush and a mild, preferably natural, dish soap. Handle with extra care when cleaning jewellery with gemstones and pearls.
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Further, occasional cleaning with a special cloth (available in our boutiques) will keep the gold shiny.
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In our boutiques, we offer a gold dip solution which restores the shine to your jewel. Gently rinse after dipping.
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Still no luck? Stop by one of our boutiques or reach out via the contact form to discuss your care questions. We are happy to help.
Caring for gold-plated jewellery
Over time, the gold layer of your gold-plated jewellery may gradually wear off, especially with frequent contact with skin, body oils, sweat, chemicals, or salt water. This natural process can eventually expose the base metal—often sterling silver, but not always.
To help preserve the beauty and glow of your piece, we recommend following our care tips as outlined above. Should your jewel need a refresh, you’re always welcome to request a re-gilding in one of our boutiques or via our contact form.