Caring for Your Silver Jewelry: Maintenance Tips for Longevity and Shine

If you’re a fan of silver jewelry and you own a lot of
sterling silver pieces, you might have noticed that your jewelry gets tarnished
pretty fast. That’s because sterling silver is not pure silver but it contains
copper. Copper is more reactive and tarnishes faster.
But that’s not the reason to stop wearing or loving silver
jewelry. Quite the contrary, sterling silver pieces are beautiful and timeless,
they just need a bit more of your care.
If you’re a fan of silver, you’ll be glad to know these
several maintenance tips for longevity and shine.
Regular cleaning is key
When we often wear our silver jewellery, dirt, dust, and oils accumulate on it. All this buildup causes the silver to lose its
shine and luster.
To keep your silver beautiful and shiny, the key is regular
cleaning. After each use, wipe your silver pieces with a soft cloth. This will
remove all surface impurities and prevent tarnish.
However, that’s not enough. From time to time, your silver
jewelry requires deep cleaning. A great way to remove dust, dirt, oils, and
tarnish from your pieces is with the help of a small ultrasonic bath.
Ultrasonic baths are devices that transmit high-frequency
sound waves through a liquid to clean different items including jewelry.
Ultrasonic cleaning can help you remove tarnish and restore your jewelry’s
shine.
Avoid harsh chemicals
Handling harsh chemicals while wearing silver jewelry can
damage the silver. So, if you’re going to be using harsh cleaning products that
contain bleach and chlorine, take off your silver pieces.
Also, try to avoid exposing your silver jewelry to perfumes,
lotions, and hairsprays because these products can tarnish the silver and
damage other embellishments.
Keep it dry
Did you know that the water we use daily can damage our
silver jewelry? That’s because water contains chemicals and contaminants that
can dull out and tarnish our silver pieces. So, here are some tips that can be
handy when it comes to water and silver.
Take off your jewelry before you enter the shower. Showering
and silver don’t go well together. If you forget to take it off once or twice,
it won’t damage your pieces. However, make sure to dry them afterward.
If you’re going swimming in a pool, take off your jewelry.
The water in the pool is mixed with chlorine, a harsh chemical that can damage
your silver. So, before jumping in, remove all your silver pieces.
Similarly, hot tubs contain even more chlorine than pools,
and on top of that the water is hot. Hot water and chlorine can accelerate the
chemical reaction and do some pretty damage to your silver jewelry.
Store it properly
Storage is crucial when it comes to maintaining your silver
jewelry. If you want to prevent tarnish, dust, and scratches, storing your
pieces properly is essential.
Exposure to air can accelerate the tarnishing, that’s why
you should never leave silver jewelry lying on top of the dresser, nightstand,
or open jewelry holder.
Ideally, you’d want to store your silver jewelry in a dry,
air-tight place away from direct sunlight.
Additionally, it would be best if you could store each
piece separately in soft pouches to prevent tangling and scratching. Just to be
sure, you can place silica gel packets in each pouch to provide anti-tarnish
protection.
Additional anti-tarnish techniques
Sometimes, despite all our efforts, silver keeps tarnishing.
In that case, you should know additional anti-tarnish techniques.
For instance, different anti-tarnish products can help you
slow down the tarnishing of your silver. There are anti-tarnish cloths and
tarnish-resistant strips that can absorb moisture and neutralize sulfur
compounds.
Just like silica gel packets, these anti-tarnish products can
be placed in a jewelry box or any other type of storage you use.
Polish your silver jewelry
Silver is a metal that requires polishing to stay shiny. As
mentioned, over time silver will inevitably start to tarnish. To return the
shine to your silver pieces, you should polish them regularly.
You can use polishing cloths for silver or specialized
silver polishing compounds. Simply, rub the tarnished areas gently to remove
tarnish and return the shine.
However, be careful not to over-polish because too much
rubbing can remove intricate details or patina off your silver pieces.
Bottom Line
Properly cleaning and maintaining your silver jewelry can
prolong its longevity and shine. You can have beautiful, timeless silver
jewelry for a long time.
All you have to do is put some effort into carefully
handling, cleaning, and storing your pieces.