There is a particular pleasure in owning something that improves with careful use. A leather-bound notebook. A linen jacket worn soft by summers. A pair of handmade acetate sunglasses, whose colour deepens and whose frame takes on the precise shape of the face it has come to know.
Berenford frames are cut from vintage Mazzucchelli acetate, produced in Italy's Veneto district: a material with a depth and warmth no injected plastic can approximate. That depth deserves a little attention.
Why Acetate Needs Care
Acetate is a cellulose-based material. It breathes, it has weight, and unlike modern thermoplastics, it responds to its environment. That responsiveness is also its beauty. Under the right conditions, a frame made from genuine Mazzucchelli acetate will hold its shape and colour for years. Under the wrong ones, it will warp, fade, or lose the crisp geometry the artisan gave it.
The good news is that caring for it well is neither complicated nor time-consuming. It is, in fact, one of those small daily habits that separate objects that last from objects that do not.
Heat Is the Only Real Enemy
The single most important rule: keep acetate away from heat. A frame left on a car dashboard in summer, or placed beside a radiator, or stored in a beach bag under direct sun can soften and distort in minutes. Once warped, acetate must be gently reheated and reshaped by a professional, and while this is often possible, it is a process best avoided.
This applies equally to hot water. Never clean a Berenford frame under hot tap water or steam. Lukewarm water is perfectly safe, and is in fact recommended after a day at the sea or the pool, where salt and sunscreen residue can settle into the hinge and rivet line.
Cleaning: Simple and Deliberate
For daily cleaning, the microfibre cloth supplied with every Berenford frame is all that is needed. Fold it once, hold the frame by the bridge, and wipe each lens in one steady pass from centre outward. Do not use tissues, paper towels, or cotton t-shirts: all of these carry fibres that, over time, leave fine scratches in even a Zeiss lens.
For deeper cleaning, a brief rinse under lukewarm water followed by a light pass with a drop of plain dish soap will lift sunscreen, skin oil, and dust without any risk to the acetate or to the Zeiss lenses with 100% UVA/UVB protection that sit within the frame.
Never use alcohol, acetone, or any solvent-based product on acetate. These will strip the surface and, in time, cloud or crack it.
The Case Is Not Optional
Every Berenford frame ships in a rigid case. The case is there to be used, not to sit on a shelf. Acetate scratches against hard surfaces, and lenses scratch against keys, coins, and the contents of a bag. A frame stored in its case after each use, even when the intention is to put it back on in an hour, will look and feel different in two years from one that was not.
Place the frame in the case with the lenses facing up. This is a small habit, but it is the right one.
Hinges and Adjustments
Berenford frames are fitted with hand-riveted German OBE hinges, among the finest available, and the brass rivets that secure them are set by hand at the maison. These hinges are designed to last and to stay precisely calibrated, but like any mechanical component they can drift slightly with frequent use.
If a temple feels loose or the frame sits unevenly, resist the urge to bend it yourself. Bring it to an optician, or contact the maison directly. A gentle professional adjustment takes two minutes and prevents the kind of stress fracture that can open along the rivet line when force is applied at the wrong angle.
Storage for the Off-Season
If a frame is to be stored for several months, keep it away from direct light and from damp. A drawer, a cabinet, a cool interior shelf: all are fine. Do not seal acetate in an airtight container, which can dry it unevenly.
The Safari collection, the Riviera collection, and the Monaco collection each carry frames suited to different seasons and latitudes. It is worth storing them separately by season and rotating them, rather than reaching always for the same pair.
A Note on Rarity
Each Berenford model is a Limited Edition of 100, numbered and never reproduced. That scarcity is not a marketing formula; it is a structural commitment to the idea that an object worth owning is worth caring for. The frame you keep well is the one that will be worth passing on.
For those who wish to explore the full range, the Icons collection and the stories behind the five Berenford Worlds are a good place to begin. Those curious about how the maison works can read more on the Berenford story.