How to keep your silver sterling jewellery from turning black
Is your silver jewellery looking a little black these days? Find out how to keep it looking sparkling with advice from an expert jeweller.
Sterling silver is a metal alloy that comprises 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. It’s used a lot in jewellery due to its durability, malleability, and because it’s relatively affordable yet retains its value well. It’s also quite easy to look after, but is prone to tarnishing, which can dull its shine badly.
This makes ongoing care and maintenance of your jewellery vital. But how can you care for sterling silver to preserve its beauty and visual impact without having to polish it every day?
You can keep silver jewellery that you use daily sparkling by polishing it regularly with a soft cloth, says jewellery expert Blake Asaad of high quality jewellery provider GOODSTONE.
But what about the sterling silver jewellery you keep in storage – most likely the silver sterling items that have the most value or meaning to you? Because they’re in storage, you likely won’t be able to, or won’t have the time to, keep getting them out of storage and polishing them.
No problem! says Blake. There’s one easy thing you can do to stop your stored sterling silver jewellery from tarnishing.
The expert’s trick for stopping stored sterling silver tarnishing
Blake from GOODSTONE recommends one simple but very effective (and science-backed!) drill for keeping sterling silver jewellery that you store – perhaps for special occasions or because it’s precious – looking shiny and new.
The tip for stopping your precious sterling silver jewellery from tarnishing is, wherever you’re storing your jewellery, is to put it inside an airtight bag to keep it protected from air and moisture. (Air moisture causes tarnishing to happen quickly.)
You can use zip-lock bags or any airtight container to do this, and keep each piece of silver separate to prevent scratching or tangling.
Put anti-tarnish strips in your airtight storage bag, too. You can also add silica gel or activated charcoal to absorb moisture, or a packet of desiccant crystals. Blake also suggests wrapping your items of sterling silver in dry, acid-free tissue paper before storing them in airtight containers. The acid in normal paper can cause your silver jewellery to tarnish and lose its lustre.
Maintaining your sterling silver jewelry for the future
Whether it’s your everyday silver jewellery or silver jewellery you have stored away, when you clean it, avoid harsh chemicals like bleach, acetone, toothpaste, or baking soda. These can scratch and dull the surface of the silver – often irreparably. Instead, use soft cloth or tissue and a gentle polishing agent to buff the silver.
When you’ve cleaned your precious sterling silver jewellery and it’s time to put it back in storage again, follow Blake’s anti-tarnishing advice. It’s a simple hack that can preserve the appearance of your precious sterling silver items for a very long time.
Preserve your silver jewellery for a long time
Using this sterling silver anti-tarnishing tip costs very little, and can preserve or maintain your jewellery, or other precious silver items, for a long time – even conserving them as priceless heirlooms for future generations. By using this hack, your silver
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