How to Care for your Sterling Silver Jewelry

How to Care for your Sterling Silver Jewelry

Silver has always been utilized for making more jewelry and decorative items than any other metal in history. However it was soon discovered to be too soft to be made use of and hence was combined with other metals to boost its durability and strength; more specifically copper. This alloy of copper and silver has greater longevity than regular silver nonetheless it also has a tendency to tarnish or turn black over time. Besides this, Sterling Silver also needs to be handled with extra care as it could easily get scratched and bend out of shape.

Always think of caring for silver in a preventive way instead of a curative manner to ensure its longevity. The first thing that you can do is avoid exposing the silver you have to chlorine, cosmetics, hairspray and perfume; this will ensure that the silver doesn't tarnish. Also keep the silver ware that you have away from sinks; this will stop the silver from being lost altogether.

When cleaning silver, try using a phosphate free, low abrasion cleaning agent to clean so that you can remove the tarnish without fear of scratching the silver. A fascinating truth is that body oils can in fact prevent the tarnishing of silver, hence silver which is worn often has a lower chance of getting tarnished. You can also use baking powder and toothpaste for cleaning your sterling silver jewelry however some jewelry experts usually do not endorse this saying it can lead to abrasion if not used properly; however lots of people actually clean their silver jewelry using these methods without much damage so you might as well give it a try.

A good preventive strategy is to clean the sterling silver which you have weekly or bi-weekly with a mild dish wash or baking soda. This makes certain that it never gets tarnished in the first place. To do this, follow these steps:

a. Put 2 table spoon of baking soda and two cups of warm water into an aluminum container.

b. Put your silver ware in this container and leave it there for about 10 mins.

c. Take the silver our and dry it using a soft towel.

This method is enough to make sure that your silver never tarnishes/blackens.

You should also store your sterling silver jewelry in tarnish preventing cloth and bags so that you can prevent the unavoidable so long as possible. These bags are created from cloth that is lined with special tarnish preventing properties which in turn delays the discolouration process. Also never make the mistake of keeping two silver pieces together in a bag as that may easily cause them to scratch each other.

Most of the sterling silver jewelry that you wear on a continuous basis will develop an excellent patina giving it a classic look and that is much sought-after. In the event you prefer this look on your silver then you will want to be careful that you do not lose this look when cleaning the silver. If some of your jewelry already has developed a patina either wash it gently or take it to an experienced jeweler for cleaning.

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