Tips For Upkeep of Silver Jewelry

 

Understanding Why Sterling Silver Tarnishes

 

Sterling silver, an alloyed metal typically composed of 92.5% pure silver and other metals, is not just a popular choice for its affordability and malleability. It's also a cherished possession for many due to its unique beauty. However, its composition makes it prone to tarnishing. If you're looking at a piece of jewelry that is darkened or appears dirty, then your silver has tarnished, but there's no need to neglect this piece or get rid of it! Tarnish, a natural process caused by a chemical reaction with oxygen or sulphur particles in the air is not a reason to worry. With simple and practical tips, you can easily care for your sterling silver jewelry and ensure its longevity!

Prevent Tarnish With These Pointers

Knowing what's harmful to your sterling silver jewelry is the best way to combat tarnish. For your daily wearing, we've put together this list of tips:

• Wear it often: Believe it or not, your skin's natural oils will help keep silver jewelry shiny. One of the easiest ways to prevent tarnish is to wear your silver often instead of letting it sit in a jewelry box unworn.
• Remove during household chores: Substances with additional sulphur, like household cleaners, chlorinated water, sweat, and rubber, will accelerate corrosion and tarnish. It's an excellent idea to obliterate sterling silver before cleaning.
• Avoid direct sunlight: Remove your silver jewelry before hitting the beach or pool. Sunlight can also cause silver to tarnish.
• Put your jewelry on last: Women have been putting it on later for generations, and that's for good reason! Lotions, makeup, hair spray, and perfumes will accelerate tarnishing.

How to Clean Sterling Silver

There are countless at-home methods for cleaning your silver jewelry. You've probably faced endless options, wondering which are the best. Well, here are the silver cleaning methods that our jewelers suggest for your at-home cleanings:

• Soap and water: This is our most recommended method because soap and water are gentle. It should be your first line of defense before trying anything else.
• Baking soda and water: If you come across suggestions for toothpaste, we highly recommend you ignore that tip and use baking soda and water instead. When toothpastes were simple, non-whitening, non-gel-based pastes, they could be used on your jewelry. However, they now include many more ingredients that may damage your silver. Instead, make a paste from baking soda and water, apply a small amount to a cloth or toothbrush, and scrub gently.
• White vinegar and baking soda: This gentle cleaning removes heavy tarnishes. Soak your sterling silver in ½ cup of white vinegar and 2 tbsp of baking soda (combine these in the sink and prepare yourself for the fizzing and foam) for two to three hours. Rinse jewelry and pat dry.
• Finish with a polish: After cleaning your jewelry well, you can polish it using a cloth specifically for sterling silver.

You can repeat this process as often as needed. Remember, the key to keeping your sterling silver clean is to keep up with regular cleanings to remove tarnish as it builds. Your job becomes much more difficult if you let a piece accumulate a lot of tarnish and then try to remove it all at once. You'll come across many other methods, but we highly suggest these three because they are gentle on your silver jewelry.

How to Properly Store Silver Jewelry

 

• Use an air-tight container: any container can store your silver if it's air-tight. Zip-lock bags are great, but you can also find specialty jewelry bags for a more attractive option.
• Keep in a cool, dark place: as mentioned earlier, sunlight, heat, and moisture accelerate tarnishing. Be sure to keep your silver in a cool, dark place.
• Store pieces individually: storing your pieces separately prevents any chance of jewelry scratching or tangling with each other.
• Consider anti-tarnish strips: you can throw in some with your jewelry to help prevent tarnishing.
• Do not store in paper, cardboard, or cotton-filled boxes: these boxes may contain traces of sulphur, which will contribute to tarnishing.

Products  That Help Prevent Tarnish

 

You may try a few other things when looking for ways to prevent your sterling silver jewelry from tarnishing.

• Store jewelry with chalk: If you throw a few pieces of chalk in with your sterling silver, the chalk will absorb the moisture and help prevent tarnishing.
• Use silica packs: You'll sometimes find silica packs when you buy new clothing or shoes. Hold onto these and toss them in your jewelry box. They're great for absorbing moisture!
• Anti-tarnish clothes: It's great to line your jewelry box with anti-tarnish clothes. These clothes absorb sulphur and moisture from the air and are chemically treated to prevent tarnish.

Keep Sterling Silver Jewelry in a Cool Place

We all understand how jewelry can be when it is kept in a hot place. You don't want to overheat your jewelry and ruin it by keeping it in hot temperatures. Holding your jewelry in a cool, dark place would be best. Doing this minimizes the light and heat exposure on your sterling silver jewelry.