How to maintain your glasses?

Caring for your frame is about more than aesthetics – it’s about preserving its comfort, strength, and beauty over time. A well-maintained frame ages gracefully, retains its natural glow, and offers a far better experience, day after day.

A few simple gestures can be done at home, with no need for specialised tools: regular cleaning using a clean microfibre cloth, careful drying after exposure to moisture, and always storing your frame in a hard case to avoid knocks and friction. These habits are often enough to prevent premature wear in most situations.

But your frame – especially when crafted from natural materials such as horn, wood, or genuine tortoiseshell – deserves more in-depth care. This type of maintenance is more technical and generally requires the expertise of a professional: someone able to carry out a light sanding to remove the dried surface layer, nourish the natural materials, check the alignment of the frame, adjust the temples, or replace subtly worn components.

Each material requires specific care and an appropriate approach. Below, we guide you on how to care for a horn frame, clean an acetate frame, or look after a frame made of metal, wood, or genuine tortoiseshell – always with precision, respect for the material, and, of course, common sense.

Acetate glasses

Cellulose acetate is a remarkable material, derived from wood pulp or cotton. It is chosen for the depth of colour it offers, its comfortable feel when worn, and its ability to be adjusted with great precision. Like any living material, it deserves minimal care to preserve its qualities over time.

You can care for your acetate frame yourself using cold water to remove dust or residue that tends to build up on the surface, especially around the bridge and behind the ears. A small soft brush, such as a clean toothbrush, can be helpful for reaching more delicate areas, particularly around the hinges.

Avoid hot water, sudden changes in temperature, and prolonged exposure to sunlight, as these can affect the shape or shine of the acetate.

Over time, if the surface of your frame becomes dull or shows fine micro-scratches, we can carry out a light sanding and polish in our workshop. This service has no impact on the fit or shape of the frame and restores its original shine.

Horn glasses

Natural horn frames – at Lunetier Ludovic, we most often work with Indian water buffalo horn – stand out for their singular beauty and unmatched comfort. Our workshop is internationally recognised for its expertise in working with this demanding material. Like any organic substance, horn evolves over time: regular care is therefore essential to preserve its suppleness, natural tone, and shine.

We recommend regularly nourishing the surface of your frame using a soft cloth and a small amount of vegetable oil (such as coconut oil) or an unscented moisturising cream (feel free to contact us for advice). Gently rub the material, paying particular attention to the most exposed areas like the bridge and the tips of the temples. This simple care helps prevent drying out and maintains the natural glow of the horn.

It’s important to avoid prolonged immersion in water – this could cause cracks or dull the material. Similarly, avoid excessive exposure to humidity or direct heat.

Once a year, we recommend a full in-atelier care service. This includes a light sanding of the surface layer, a nourishing bath with plant-based oil, and a careful polish. This treatment restores your buffalo horn frame’s natural glow and suppleness without altering its shape or patina.

Classic metals, precious metals, and alloys glasses

Metal frames require special care to preserve their shine, balance, and precise fit over time. At Lunetier Ludovic, we work with a wide variety of metals and alloys—solid gold, aluminium, maillechort, among others—chosen according to the client’s needs and desired properties, such as fine detailing, durability, or unique brilliance.

Each metal ages differently. Some finishes, such as galvanic coatings, may fade over the years. Others, left raw, develop a subtle patina that can be preserved or softened according to your preferences. Regular cleaning with a soft, dry cloth is usually enough to keep your frame in good condition. For tougher dirt, particularly around the hinges, a thorough ultrasonic cleaning can be performed in our workshop without damaging the material.

If your frame is gold-plated, palladium-coated, or ruthenium-finished, it can also be re-plated in the colour and finish of your choice. For solid gold frames, an appropriate polish often restores the original shine without altering the shape or patina.

Each metal frame tells a story – our role is to support it over time, with accuracy and precision.

Wooden glasses

Wooden frames stand out for their lightness, warm touch, and the uniqueness of their natural grain. As a living material par excellence, wood reacts to humidity, heat, and daily wear. Regular maintenance is essential to preserve the shine, strength, and longevity of your wooden frame.

For daily care, avoid immersing your wooden glasses in water or exposing them to prolonged humidity. It is also advisable to remove them during intense physical activities to prevent shocks or deformation caused by sweat, sudden movements, or excessive pressure. For regular maintenance, a soft cloth, dry or just slightly damp, is sufficient to remove surface dust.

Once a year, we recommend entrusting your frame to our workshop for a complete care treatment: light sanding to fade signs of wear, application of nourishing wax to revive the natural tone of the wood, and a thorough inspection of the hinges, screws, and rivets. This treatment restores the full radiance of your wooden glasses without affecting their shape or comfort.

Each frame crafted in our workshop is unique. Proper care helps preserve the distinct qualities of each material and prolongs its beauty over time.

Tortoiseshell glasses

Genuine tortoiseshell is one of the rarest and most fascinating natural materials ever used in eyewear. Valued for its translucency, warm touch, and rich hues, it possesses a unique property: a capacity for partial self-regeneration, sometimes called “autografting.” This phenomenon allows for adjustments in material thickness or modulation of shades, enabling, for example, a lighter or more “cherry” tone. It is common to add a “blonde” touch on the bridge or the wrapped hinges of the frame front.

Since 1973, the use of genuine tortoiseshell has been strictly regulated by the Washington Convention (CITES), which prohibits any new manufacture or trade, except under extremely limited exemptions. Genuine tortoiseshell frames in circulation are precious and deserve appropriate care.

In daily use, we recommend avoiding any immersion in water, as well as prolonged exposure to humidity or direct heat sources. Saltwater, especially during sea navigation, can also damage the material. For regular cleaning, a simple soft cloth, dry or slightly dampened, helps preserve the surface without causing damage.

Once a year, if your frame shows signs of drying out or dullness, professional care can restore its shine: light polishing, a nourishing bath with plant-based oil, and a thorough inspection of hinges, rivets, and screws. In case of more significant damage, certain repairs can also be considered. Please don’t hesitate to contact us - we’ll assess the situation and offer you a tailored solution.