FAQ

Earrings can get lost from time to time, and we know how annoying that can be! You can purchase individual earrings by emailing hello@bohrunga.com or if you pop by our Ponsonby Bohtique.

Please note some earrings must be a mirrored pair and metal colour can change over time, so this service is not always available.

Never wear earrings that feel too loose or don't secure properly as it they may fall out and get lost.

Loose earring backs are not a manufacturing fault. You can tighten your earring butterflies by gently squeezing the rounded back of the butterfly together until it fits more securely onto the earring post.

Loose huggie earrings can be secured by gently pushing the post upwards with your finger until the earring will clicks closed.

Oh no! We’re sorry to hear that your piece has broken

As we are not a manufacturing jeweller we do not offer repairs on items which have broken through general wear and tear. This can include, but not limited to the following faults: Stretched links near the break in a chain, catching your jewellery on something which causes it to break, wearing your jewellery in pools causing it to tarnish, ring bands that protrude outwards if the charm has come off or a piece that is bent or misshapen in anyway, earring posts which are squished flat.

All Boh Runga precious metal jewellery has a 12 month manufacturing warranty. Our manufacturing warranty does not include normal wear and tear or any accidental or non-accidental damage. If you believe your broken item is due to a manufacturing fault, there’s a few things that we need to know about your piece:

• Is your piece less than 12 months old?
• Where did you purchase it?
• How and when did it break?

Please email us at repairs@bohrunga.com for all repair enquiries with the answers to the questions above and a photo of the item.

All of our sterling silver jewellery is rhodium plated. Rhodium is one of the rarest and most expensive precious metals. When sterling silver jewellery is rhodium plated it helps to prevent tarnishing, gives the jewellery a high shine finish and makes it more resistant to scratching. Sterling silver is a delicate metal and it will age and tarnish over time, but plating with rhodium gives your piece a much longer life.

Gold is a yellow metallic element, but in its pure form (24CT) it’s too soft to be used in jewellery. It therefore needs to be “alloyed” (mixed) with other metals to provide the best combination of strength, appearance and resistance to tarnishing.

Typically, 9CT gold will be made of 37.5% gold, 42.5% silver and 20% copper, but like any recipe this can vary slightly depending on who is making it. The gold component always stays consistent, but you find variation in the silver and copper use which accounts for the difference in intensity of ‘yellow’ colour in 9CT gold.

The links in the chains can stretch over time for various reasons. Pulling the pendant along the chain as you are wearing it is the most common way that the links can stretch. Wearing the pendant as you sleep can also stretch your chain.

All of our sterling silver jewellery is rhodium plated. Rhodium is one of the rarest and most expensive precious metals. When sterling silver jewellery is rhodium plated it prevents tarnishing, gives the jewellery a high shine finish and makes it more resistant to scratching. Sterling silver is
a delicate metal though and it will age and tarnish over time.

This is not a defect but the result of a natural chemical process that occurs when sterling silver is exposed to materials containing sulphur and acids (such as those found in sweat and skin oils or mineral swimming pools).

Anything, from medication, perfume or the pH balance of a person’s skin, can affect the extent of tarnishing
to a piece of jewellery. Humid environments will also accelerate tarnishing. It is important to care for and clean your jewellery regularly to prevent any tarnish or discolouration from occurring.

Our gold plated jewellery is made in sterling silver then plated with a 2 micron layer of gold. Gold plating will wear off over time and exposure to skin, hair and cleaning products as well as daily wear, will speed up this process. To get the most from your gold plated jewellery we suggest wearing it ‘sometimes’ rather than ‘always’, but if your favourite piece requires replating, we can do this for a fee.

The beauty of pounamu becomes more lustrous with wear, absorbing the natural oils from your touch and your skin. As such it should never be washed with a chemical cleaner as this can damage the stone. If you must clean your greenstone beyond wiping with a soft cloth please do so gently with a mild detergent and dry immediately.
Be careful to avoid knocking or dropping your pounamu against a hard surface as this may cause cracking or chipping.

To ensure longevity of a beaded piece, avoid wearing it in water as this can discolour the beads and cause the cord to soften and weaken over time. We recommend removing jewellery at night before sleeping and when doing manual work such as gardening or cleaning.

We do not recommend the use of silver dips on our jewellery as this may remove the rhodium. Gold liquid dips are not recommended for our gold plated jewellery either. When the plating becomes discoloured, clean in warm water with a delicate soap free substance for no longer than 10 minutes using your fingers or a soft toothbrush to clean into grooves. Rinse the piece in water and gently pat dry with a soft cloth. Finish by polishing the jewellery with a clean polishing cloth.

Formulated liquid dips for solid gold jewellery are available and are highly effective in removing tarnish and surface dirt, bringing back shine and luster. For best results directions should always be followed carefully and care taken.

When it comes to sterling silver jewellery it is always best to avoid wearing it in water, in particular swimming pools and spas, as chlorine can damage your jewellery in a very short time.

Where possible avoid contact with shampoos, perfumes or deodorants. We recommend removing jewellery at night before sleeping and when doing manual work such as gardening or cleaning.

Common habits such as pulling/sliding a pendant along a chain may stretch the chain and weaken it over time.

Boh (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine and Chinese) wanted to introduce pounamu to Boh Runga jewellery because of her own story and love of our precious greenstone. She wanted to share the beauty of pounamu and offer it to the lovers of her jewellery designs, to create their own journey and make their own stories with pounamu at the heart. We source our pounamu from Te Waipounamu and engage local crafts people to carve the stone in limited batches when available. Although a contemporary take, we recognise the significance of our taonga and share it in a modern but respectful way.

While there is a strong history of gifting pounamu within Māori culture, there is now more acceptance of purchasing it for yourself. There is nothing culturally insensitive or disrespectful about doing so, but we do encourage the gifting of our pounamu as this is what bestows mana upon both the stone and the receiver. Pounamu is a taonga (treasure) that was prized as both currency and a means of coalescing Māori whakapapa (birthright and genealogy). Traditionally pounamu was handed down through generations, and these pieces were the most revered. I have designed my range of pounamu as a way for people to wear and share our precious jade every day. To mark an achievement or milestone, or to be gifted to someone you love and respect, is my intention for all of my pieces of jewellery.

Our Pounamu is found exclusively in Te Waipounamu (the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand). Locations include: various rivers in Arahura, Hokitika and Greymouth. The light very clean green is Inanga, the stronger green with the black inclusions is Kakakawa.