Care
Routine Sterling Silver Care Is a Must if You Want to Keep Your Jewelry Looking Its Best
Are you as obsessed with Sterling Silver as much as we are? Are you all about its brilliant shine, incredibly versatile look, and just straight-up glamour?
Whether you're a timeless jewelry fan or keeping up with the hottest trends, we're just as wild about stunning accessories as you are.
While buying beautiful jewelry is fun and exciting, nothing ruins the mood more than lackluster tarnish. For this reason, most of us dread the cleaning process and fear that our silver is forever ruined.
But, not to worry! We're here to show you that sterling silver care is easy, quick, and convenient. You just need to know the right tricks and techniques.
Let's get to it!
Daily Care
Clean your jewellery before storing:
Sweat tends to play spoilsport because it brings in moisture and could cause tarnishing. Therefore, it is very important that before storing, you wipe off all the sweat from the jewellery pieces and store them in plastic airtight boxes.
Apply perfumes, colognes, skincare products and hairspray, before you put on your jewellery.
*Tip: Place your jewellery in a plastic airtight box to avoid tarnishing.
Maintenance
Regular cleaning and maintenance will prolong the life of your jewellery.
If you prefer to clean your silver jewellery at home, you can use a silver cleaning dip, which can be done in the following manner:
1) Line a glass container with tin/aluminium foil (shiny side upwards)
2) Put your silver pieces in the container on the tin/aluminium foil.
3) Add one or two tablespoons each of salt and baking soda on top of your jewellery.
4) Pour in hot water and let it sit. Gently rub and scrub the pieces with your fingers when the water is cold enough to not burn you. Leave in this solution for another 3 mins.
5) After the tarnish disappears, rinse your jewellery with water and dry it using a soft cloth.
The above process can be repeated again if you are still not satisfied with the results.
Storing Silver Jewellery
Don't store silver jewellery in cotton or paper boxes.
Often silver will tarnish very fast in these conditions. Always remove your jewellery from the gift box and store in a plastic bag or plastic box preferably airtight.
To minimize scratches and other damage, store your silver jewellery in an airtight box or bag.
Silver polish can be used to remove tarnish or you can visit your local jeweller to have your pieces brought back to its original shine & spark
Also keep in mind
Dry Silver is Happy Silver
Interesting fact: pure water by itself doesn't damage sterling silver, but most of the water we're exposed to in our daily lives is not purified. Chemicals and contaminants in the water can result in tarnished and dull-looking silver, so it's best to know what's what when it comes to water.
Shower - It's not a great idea to shower with your jewelry on, but once in a while isn't going to do any lasting damage. Just make sure to dry it after.
Swimming Pool - Take your silver off. Chlorine is a pretty harsh chemical, so if you accidentally forget to remove your silver jewellery before hopping in, make sure to rinse and clean it afterward.
Hot Tub - Same idea as the swimming pool, but there's even more chlorine in the hot tub and the heat can accelerate the chemical reaction.
Hot Springs - The sulfur in natural hot springs will wreak havoc on your silver. Unless you're going for that "dark oxidised" look, avoid at all costs.
Bonus Tip - Chemicals in lotions and perfumes can also cause your jewellery to tarnish. Apply them first, let them dry, and then put your jewellery on. This alone can make a HUGE difference in your silver's luster.