Keep Your Sterling Silver Jewelry Looking Lustrous for Years
Why Does Silver Tarnish?
Tarnish has nothing to do with the quality of silver content; it is a natural process that appears on the surface of all silver jewelry. Tarnish begins as a light yellow discoloration; it then changes to darker shades of brown as the tarnish becomes more severe. In extreme cases the silver will be almost black.
Silver tarnishing is due to various climatic conditions and reactions to certain ingredients that are present in some materials and chemicals. One such chemical that causes silver to tarnish is hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and things that contain this chemical will cause silver to tarnish quickly.
Materials that stimulate silver tarnish are wood, rubber, food items like salt, milk, onions and so forth. High humidity also hastens silver tarnish.
Some Causes of the Tarnish Process.
- Humidity -The higher the humidity in your jewelry environment the more your silver will tarnish.
- Chemicals in cloth and in your clothing can cause tarnishing of silver.
- Wood- Avoid storing your sterling silver jewelry on wood surfaces, because most wood contains acids that can mar the finish. Oak is said to be the worst for storing silver jewelry.
- Chemicals - Chlorine found in pools and spas can damage silver.
- Do not store your silver with pennies or any other metals.
- Rubber and rubber bands are known to tarnish silver quickly.
- Cosmetics – Perfume, hair products, makeup, nail polish remover and other chemicals tarnish and can damage your jewelry and gemstones. Make it a point to put on your jewelry after you have applied your personal products.
- Bleach ammonia, alcohol, and other harsh cleaning products will not only tarnish your jewelry, but can severely damage silver and gemstones.
- Food items like eggs, salt,
mayonnaise, mustard,
milk, and onions contain chemicals are known to tarnish silver.
- Papers, cotton, cardboard and plastic will tarnish silver (zip lock baggies are ok for storing silver jewelry).
- High humidity is a big culprit that will speed up the silver tarnishing process.
After reading the above you are most likely thinking how can you avoid your silver jewelry from tarnishing. Don't fret, below are a few tips on keeping your silver jewelry in tip top shape.
Maintain Your Silver Jewelry
The longer you go between cleanings the harder it is to restore your jewelry to its original luster, the suggestions below are inexpensive and easy to acquire:
- Anti-tarnish Strips – The strips Absorb the sulfuric gases that cause tarnish. They are a safe and economical way to keep tarnish off your silver.
- Silica Gel Granules - Those little packs of that come in your vitamin bottles, computer accessories and other items you buy are perfect for helping retard tarnish. Place one where you store your jewelry to help control moisture.
- Chalk - Standard blackboard chalk can be used when storing your jewelry. It has absorption qualities and one small piece with last for months.
- Keep your jewelry stored in a dark, dry place away from sunlight and heat.
- Don't store your jewelry among other pieces to protect it from damage.
- To prevent your jewelry from tarnishing when not wearing it, invest in a good jewelry bag with anti tarnish properties that have been added to the cloth.
- Store your precious pieces properly such as using an air tight bag like a zip-lock bag, or a special jewelry bag to keep tarnish at a minimum.
- Pacific Silver Cloth or a Tarnish Inhibiting Cloth is perfect to wrap silver in for storing or you can just lay the cloths inside your jewelry box with silver on top or beside the cloth.
- Maintain your jewelry. It is easier to clean your treasures when the tarnish is at a minimum.
- Create a perfect storage environment - To prolong your jewelry when you are not wearing it, store at the very least in an air tight receptacle in a low humidity environment. Do not store in a card board box or on paper because they contain sulfur producing compounds that will increase the rate of tarnish.
The best way to keep tarnish away from your sterling silver jewelry is to wear it on a regular basis. Your sterling silver jewelry is meant to be worn. When you wear your silver jewelry, your body oils help keep the tarnishing at bay and cleaning to a minimum.
There are many ways to clean your silver jewelry, read below for a few suggestions and tips.
Cleaning silver that is not extremely tarnished:
- Clean your sterling silver jewelry with a soft 100% cotton cloth.
- Soft Flannel cloths for cleaning will work well.
- Special sterling silver cleaning cloth with chemical cleansing compounds are perfect for silver jewelry maintenance and cleaning. Many jewelers recommend the Sunshine Polishing Cloth or the Silver Duster Cloth by Hagerty.
- Choose soft cleaning tools - Very soft bristle brushes, like a babies tooth brush or a soft horsehair silver brush, or how about a mushroom brush?
- Silver is a soft metal and will scratch easily. When cleaning or drying your sterling silver jewelry choose the proper cloth material very carefully. Use 100% cotton materials Old T-shirts with no logos, sweat shirts, cotton, soft flannel materials or commercial silver cloths. Use these types of materials to help prevent your Sterling Silver from getting scratched or damaged.
- Some good home silver cleaning products to use are: baking soda, mild phosphate free detergents as well as commercial silver cleaners.
- Click here for some recommended silver and gold jewelry cleaning products.
If you have severely tarnished items, you will most likely need to use chemicals such as sprays, polishes, dips or washes.
There are a number of terrific silver cleaning products available. If your jewelry contains gemstones look for products that are safe for gemstones. Be sure to read the labels completely as some chemicals can damage the porous stones such as Turquoise and Amber. Some products contain a tarnish retardant the will help slowly down the tarnish process.
Many gemstones require special care when cleaning, and silver polishes and vigorous cleaning could harm the gemstones. In the event your silver jewelry consists of expensive gemstones, seek professional assistance to clean the tarnish on the silver.
We hope this has helped you learn about how to clean and maintain your precious silver jewelry. Please visit us often as we will continue to provide you with more information regarding jewelry and gemstones.