I commonly get asked the same question – How should I clean my stelring silver jewelry? There are a few good methods to caring for your precious jewelry. I felt it was time to resurrect my blog with an easy guide on how to keep your silver looking so fresh n so clean!
First off I want to go over something very important. ALL SILVER TARNISHES! I often get borderline hostile messages from customers demanding answers as to why their silver has tarnished. This happens, its natural, and there are solutions. The beauty of silver is that even though it tarnishes it always can be shined up like brand new. There are some simple ways you can actually prevent silver from tarnishing…
· Purchase anti tarnishing products – these come in many forms but most commonly used by jewelers is the small black tabs. They work best if you seal your jewelry in a bag along with the black square!
· Lightly wash your jewelry with warm water and dry it with a clean towel after you wear it! Especially if you don’t think you’ll wear it again for a while. The oils from our skin speed up the tarnishing process! So, by removing the oils from your jewelry it’ll help prevent tarnishing.
· Frequently polish your jewelry (polishing methods explained below)! Even if it doesn’t look like it needs it this will help keep your jewelry from tarnishing.
Now that we’ve gone over prevention lets talk about what to do when your jewelry has in fact already tarnished and/or just needs a little tune up! There are a few methods that I personally recommend…
· Silver polishing cloths are amazing, and easily work wonders! They are also affordable and accessible. You can buy a silver polishing cloth on Amazon, or at any store that has a jeweler’s inside (Fred Meyers, Macy’s, Nordstrom) OR at any jewelers in general – we even carry them at Sundance in Bridgeport Village. With cloths its all about the frictions, you want to run the silver on the cloth hard, and fast (ha) which means when it comes to dainty chain this can get dangerous! You must be careful when cleaning chain with a polishing cloth. A cloth also doesn’t get into super small nooks.
· Silver cleaning solution is great, but more expensive. I feel it is worth it because it can get into small crevasses, and takes zero effort on your part. It normally comes with a built in catcher and is in a sort of tub. You just drop your silver in there and leave it in for whatever the recommended time is. When you pull it out it should be lookin’ all bright and new. If your silver piece has a stone, I would definitely read into the product you’re purchasing to make sure its safe for stones!
· Believe it or not there is an at home remedy for cleaning silver! Can you take a guess? Toothpaste! Yes, that’s right. This does come with some warning though, be careful on what toothpaste you use and how often you do it. Some toothpaste can be abrasive and take the finish off of certain silver (like if your piece is oxidized or brushed) I use Toms Toothpaste because its fluoride free and gentle. I’ve never had a problem and it works like a charm! I just rub in on my jewelry, and let it sit for a minute of two, then wash off in sink and dry off with a towel! BOOM! Clean jewelry.
I hope that these simple tricks, and tips help you keep your jewelry shine bright just like you!
Here are some links to the items I’ve mentioned above:
Silver Polishing Cloth (I use this exact one and love it)
Tom’s Toothpaste (this can literally be found anywhere)
xx Tay