How to Clean Kendra Scott Jewelry Without Damaging the Plating

The safest way to clean Kendra Scott jewelry is a soft, dry cloth first for everyday dulling, then -- only if that isn't enough -- a barely damp cloth with a drop of mild soap on the metal, plus a soft dry brush for crystal or stone settings, followed by an immediate dry. Skip anything built for solid metal: jewelry dips, ultrasonic cleaners, and paper towels are all too harsh for the thin 14k gold or rhodium plating most Kendra Scott fashion pieces are built with, and can strip detail or loosen a stone the brand's own care guidance is designed to protect.

Why Kendra Scott Jewelry Needs Different Care Than Solid Gold or Silver

Kendra Scott jewelry needs gentler handling than solid precious metal because most of the brand's popular fashion pieces -- the Elisa pendants, stud earrings, and stackable rings the brand is best known for -- are brass or metal alloy plated in 14k gold or rhodium, set with glass, synthetic, or semi-precious stones rather than fine gemstones. That plating is only a few microns thick, so it wears down with water, friction, and everyday contact and can eventually expose the brass underneath, which is what causes the green-tinted discoloration some owners see. Kendra Scott's separate Fine Jewelry line is different -- solid 14k gold or sterling silver, no plating to wear through -- and that distinction matters for cleaning, because a method that's safe for solid metal isn't automatically safe for a thin plated layer. (For the full breakdown of why the plating wears and tarnishes in the first place, see our guide on whether Kendra Scott jewelry tarnishes.)

How to Clean Kendra Scott Jewelry, Step by Step

Cleaning Kendra Scott jewelry safely takes about 10 minutes and works from the gentlest method up, matching the technique to which line the piece is from rather than treating every piece the same way.

1. Start with a soft, dry cloth. Most everyday dullness is just oil, dust, and skin contact, and a dry microfiber cloth clears that without introducing any moisture to the plating at all.
2. For gold-plated or rhodium-plated fashion pieces, spot-clean sparingly. Dampen a soft cloth with warm water and a drop of mild soap, wipe the metal gently, then rinse with a second clean, barely damp cloth. Don't submerge or soak the piece -- brief contact only, since prolonged water exposure is what accelerates plating wear in the first place.
3. For Fine Jewelry pieces (solid 14k gold or sterling silver), a fuller wash is fine. Kendra Scott's own care instructions say to wash Fine Jewelry with gentle soap, rinse well, and dry completely with a soft cloth -- there's no thin plating layer at risk here.
4. Use a soft, dry brush only on stone or crystal settings. A clean, soft (unused) makeup or lens-cleaning brush can reach into a bezel setting to loosen dust, but don't soak or scrub a set stone -- glass and synthetic stones are typically glued or bezel-set, not prong-mounted, so moisture and pressure both carry more risk than on fine gemstone jewelry.
5. Buff dry immediately with a lint-free cloth. On sterling silver pieces specifically, Kendra Scott says to rub gently in one direction with a polishing cloth; a silver cleaner can be used on pure sterling silver, but not on 18k gold vermeil, since it's formulated to strip oxidation and will attack thin gold plating too.
6. Dry completely and store separately. Don't let a piece air-dry against other jewelry -- lingering moisture and metal-on-metal contact both speed up the next round of tarnish. A dry pouch or lined jewelry box works better than a dish.

What to Avoid When Cleaning Kendra Scott Jewelry

The fastest way to damage a Kendra Scott piece is to clean it like solid, unplated metal. A few specific things to skip, per Kendra Scott's own published care guidance and general plated-jewelry best practice:

• Skip jewelry dips and commercial polishes. Kendra Scott's own care page specifically advises against jewelry dips or polishes, since they "may contain harsh abrasives" that strip thin plating along with any tarnish.
• Skip tissue paper and paper towels. Both can scratch a plated or polished surface -- Kendra Scott recommends a proper soft cloth instead.
• Skip the ultrasonic cleaner. These machines clean through rapid vibration (cavitation). On thin gold or rhodium plating -- generally well under a micron thick -- that vibration can erode the plating faster than normal wear, and on bezel- or glue-set glass and synthetic stones, it can loosen the setting. A soft cloth and mild soap solution does the same job with none of that risk.
• Skip contact with perfume, lotion, makeup, and hair products. Kendra Scott's care guidance specifically flags these as accelerants for plating wear -- apply them before putting jewelry on, not after.
• Skip wearing pieces in the shower, pool, or while exercising. Chlorine, salt water, and sweat all speed up plating breakdown; Kendra Scott recommends cleaning a piece immediately if it does get wet from swimming or a workout, rather than letting moisture sit.

Cleaning Kendra Scott's Colored Stones

Cleaning the colored stone in a Kendra Scott piece -- the centerpiece of the Elisa pendant and most of the brand's stud earrings -- takes a lighter touch than cleaning the metal setting around it. Most of these stones are glass, resin, or synthetic (not fine gemstones), and they're typically bezel-set or glued rather than prong-mounted, which means there's no metal claw holding tension to loosen and no facet-cut surface that benefits from an aggressive polish. A soft, dry brush around the setting edge, followed by a barely damp cloth wipe (never a soak), is enough for dust and everyday film. Avoid pressing hard directly on the stone face, since some finishes and coatings used on synthetic stones can scratch or dull under abrasive pressure in a way a genuine cut gemstone wouldn't.

If Tarnish or Green Discoloration Won't Come Off

If gentle cleaning doesn't restore a piece's shine, the plating has likely worn through to the brass base at that spot, and no amount of additional cleaning reverses that -- it's a plating-thickness limit, not a technique problem. Friction points wear fastest: the underside of a ring, the back of a stud earring post, and any spot where a pendant rubs against skin or fabric. Green skin discoloration specifically shows up once the plating has worn through enough for the brass underneath to react with moisture and skin oils. At that stage, scrubbing harder usually makes the exposed brass more visible, not less, since it strips the surrounding plating too. Our companion guide on why Kendra Scott jewelry tarnishes goes deeper into why plated brass wears the way it does.

A Lower-Maintenance Alternative

If you love Kendra Scott's colorful stud-earring aesthetic but don't love the plating upkeep, AJLuxe's Birthstone Stud Earrings ($27.99) are built on a 925 sterling silver base with genuine 18K gold plating and set with mini CZ stones, rather than brass. It's hypoallergenic and, because the base metal itself resists corrosion the way brass doesn't, it won't develop the same brass-through-plating green discoloration that eventually shows up on thin costume-jewelry electroplate over years of wear. It's not a swap for Kendra Scott's signature oversized pendant silhouette -- this is a smaller-scale stud, not a statement piece -- but if lower-maintenance, everyday shine matters more to you than the brand name, it's a genuine, honest alternative to consider alongside the routine above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Kendra Scott jewelry tarnish so fast?

It tarnishes quickly because most fashion-line pieces are brass with a thin 14k gold or rhodium electroplate rather than solid precious metal, and that plating wears down fast at friction points -- ring undersides, earring posts, pendant backs -- especially with regular water, lotion, and perfume contact. Our full explainer on why Kendra Scott jewelry tarnishes covers the mechanics in more depth.

Can you shower with Kendra Scott jewelry on?

It's better not to. Kendra Scott's own care instructions recommend removing jewelry before showering, swimming, or exercising, since water and soap residue speed up plating wear -- and if a piece does get wet, cleaning it immediately afterward limits the damage more than letting moisture sit.

Does Kendra Scott offer free jewelry cleaning?

Not confirmed as a standing service. What Kendra Scott does publish is a one-time complimentary repair for its Fine Jewelry line within one year of purchase -- a different benefit from routine cleaning, and it doesn't extend to the brass-based fashion line. For fashion-line pieces, the cloth-and-mild-soap routine above is the method the brand's own care page recommends doing at home.

Is Dawn dish soap good for cleaning Kendra Scott jewelry?

A small amount, well diluted, is in the same spirit as the "gentle soap" Kendra Scott's own instructions call for -- but use it sparingly and briefly on plated pieces, the same as any mild soap, rather than soaking or scrubbing with it. Skip anything labeled as a specialty jewelry-cleaning dish soap or degreaser, which can be more concentrated than needed.

How do you clean tarnished Kendra Scott earrings?

Start with a soft, dry cloth, then move to a barely damp cloth with a drop of mild soap only if needed, using a soft dry brush around any stone setting. Skip jewelry dips, polishes, and ultrasonic cleaners -- Kendra Scott's own guidance flags dips and polishes specifically for containing abrasives that can strip thin plating faster than the tarnish itself.

Can you use an ultrasonic cleaner on Kendra Scott jewelry?

It's best to avoid it. Ultrasonic cleaners work through rapid cavitation vibration, which can accelerate wear on plating under a micron thick and risks loosening bezel- or glue-set glass and synthetic stones -- a soft cloth and mild soap solution accomplishes the same cleaning with neither risk.

Does silver cleaner work on Kendra Scott gold-plated jewelry?

No -- Kendra Scott's own care page specifically says a silver cleaner can be used on pure sterling silver pieces, but not on 18k gold vermeil or gold-plated pieces, since it's formulated to strip oxidation and will strip thin gold plating along with it.

What causes the green discoloration on Kendra Scott jewelry?

Green skin discoloration shows up once the gold or rhodium plating has worn through enough for the brass base underneath to react with moisture, sweat, and skin oils -- it's a sign the plating has worn thin at that spot, not a defect in a specific piece, and it's most common at friction points like ring undersides and earring posts.

How do you clean a Kendra Scott necklace with a colored stone?

Use a soft, dry brush around the stone setting to loosen dust, then a barely damp cloth wipe if needed -- never soak it. Most of the colored stones in Kendra Scott's fashion line are glass or synthetic and bezel-set or glued rather than prong-mounted, so avoid pressing hard directly on the stone face or using anything abrasive on it.

Last updated August 2026.