Jewelry Care Guide

Jewelry, by its nature, is delicate. It should always be the last thing you put on and the first thing you take off. With simple care, you can cherish and wear your jewelry for a long time.

Why Sterling Silver Tarnishes 

Tarnish is when silver appears darker or sometimes coppery in colour. Tarnish is the result of a chemical reaction with oxygen particles in the air. The good news is your sterling silver jewelry can be polished back to a shine without too much effort.

Preventing Tarnish

Knowing what’s harmful is the best way to combat tarnish.

• Wear it often: Your skin’s natural oils help keep silver jewelry shiny. The easiest ways to prevent tarnish is to simply wear your silver often instead of letting it sit in a jewelry box.
• Remove during household chores: Substances with additional sulfur like household cleaners and rubber will accelerate corrosion and tarnish.
• Don’t wear to the beach or pool:  Chlorinated or salt water, sun lotion and perspiration can cause tarnish.
• Put your jewelry on last: Lotions, makeups, hair spray and perfumes will accelerate tarnishing.

Cleaning Your Sterling Silver Jewelry

Google will provide you with countless at-home methods for cleaning silver jewelry. While many do work, here are recommendations:

• Polishing cloth: A polishing cloth is your best friend when you love silver jewelry. Simply rub the jewelry with the cloth to remove tarnish and polish.
• Baking soda and water: Don’t use toothpaste, we recommend using baking soda and water instead. When toothpastes were simple non-whitening, non-gel based pastes, they could be used on jewelry. However, now they often include more ingredients that may damage your silver. Instead, make a paste from baking soda and water, apply a small amount onto a cloth or soft tooth brush and scrub gently.

You can repeat this process as often as needed. The key to keeping your sterling silver clean is 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.

How to Properly Store Your Silver Jewelry

• Use an air-tight container: Any container can be used to store your silver, as long as its air-tight. Your purchase from Shop Silver Jewelry will come in a bag, storing in this bag is a good idea. 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 such as a drawer or jewelry box.
• Store pieces individually: Storing your pieces separately prevents any chance of jewelry scratching or tangling with each other.
• Do not store in paper, cardboard, or cotton-filled boxes: These boxes may contain traces of sulfur which will contribute to tarnishing.

Products that Help Prevent Tarnish

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

• Chalk: Throw a few pieces of chalk in with your sterling silver. The chalk will absorb moisture and help prevent tarnishing.
• Silica packs: Your order will have a small silica pack - keep this in your jewelry storage. They’re great for absorbing moisture.
• Anti-tarnish cloths: You can line your jewelry box with anti-tarnish cloths. These absorb sulfur and moisture from the air and are usually chemically treated to prevent tarnish.