15 Tips - Keep Silver Jewelry Shiny
>> Thursday, October 9, 2008
Silver jewelry allures people with its intricate and meticulous artistry since ages. Shineness ,glow or glare of Silver Jewelry has always lured people. But people always wonder how to take care of silver jewelry, or how to sustain its shine. When you purchase a silver jewelry it is shiny and beautiful but with the interaction of silver and sulfides in the air silver gets tarnished.
Silver Jewelry does not turn black immediately. First the tarnish will take on a golden hue, and then it will turn the piece black. This is a natural process. Higher sulfide levels are due to humidity or air pollution. Always remember more humid the climate is ,more are the chances of silver getting tarnished.
To prevent tarnish follow these 15 tips:
1. Store your jewelry in a cool, dry place. Silver tarnishes when exposed to air, so it's a good idea to keep your silver in airtight zip lock plastic bags or an airtight container when not in use. This will help to slow the tarnishing process and protect your jewelry from scratching.
2. Remove your silver jewelry when cleaning, wimming and taking a shower. Before using any product that contains bleach,ammonia,alcohol,fingernail polish removers that contain acetone, and turpentine always remember to remove your silver jewelry. As some of these can cause a breakdown in the metal alloys and makes your jewelry beyond repair and dull.
3. While sleeping remove your jewelery. Movement during sleep can also cause stress.
4. The best way to clean your jewelry is with a professional jewelry polishing cloth. The cloth is treated with cleaning chemicals and not only will the cloth last a long time, it will give you an amazing shine each and every time. Rub gently in a lengthwise motion and it will also shine the stones.
5. The acids in salad dressings, mayonnaise and eggs can tarnish your silver, so try not to serve these foods when you use your silver. Or, if you must, rinse it right away after you use your silver with these foods.
6. Silver polishing cloths are available at major supermarkets, hardware and jewelry stores.
7. Use a non-abrasive brand name liquid or paste silver polish to remove heavy tarnish. Rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove all traces of polish from your gemstones. Dont forget to dry your jewelry before storing it in an airtight zip lock bag or container. Never use toothpaste as it is very abrasive.
8. Never dip any Silver Jewelry in 'dip' solutions or commercial cleaning solutions even though it may say that it is for silver jewelry. Dip cleaners will work only for first few times only,but after that silver jewelry will not look the same and may change its color. And it can also damage the stones and beads.
9. If you find that you need more than a polishing cloth, another simple way to clean your silver jewelry is to fill an aluminum pan with hot (but not boiling) tap water. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir a bit. Add your jewelry and let soak for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly. (Note: some dyed beads may lose their color when cleaned in this manner. Test first before cleaning the whole piece.)
10. Take a large pot (not non-stick), and line the inside with aluminum foil. Put in 8 cups of water, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup salt, and 1/4 cup liquid dish soap, and stir it a little. Place your Sterling Silver Jewelry into the solution. Bring the to a simmer for a few minutes. Then turn off the burner and let it sit for another couple of minutes. Then using a colander or strainer, pour out the solution. Rinse with cold water. Make sure you've account for all your jewelry before you throw away the aluminum. It will be dirty because the oxides on your jewelry were transferred to it. Your Sterling Silver Jewelry should now look like new!
11. Get a tin pie plate and line the bottom with aluminium foil. Sprinkle some baking soda on the tin foil, and lay your necklace on it. Boil a little water and pour it over the tin foil.Your necklace will be shiny in seconds. This is very easy ,fast and natural way of keeping siver jewelry shining.
12. Soak your jewelery in a water/baking soda solution. Or, use baking soda and a tiny bit of water (to make a paste) and a drop of dish detergent, and use that paste to clean your chains.
13. Easy way to keep silver clean is to put the silver in an aluminum dish and liberally sprinkle it with baking soda and then pour boiling water over it all. When it cools, remove and dry. It will remove all the tarnish and makes it very shiny.
14. You can even use silver dip, dip the piece quickly in and out of the dip. Then immediately rinse it in clean water. When the piece dries, buff it with a soft cotton cloth or a Sunshine Cloth.Buffing helps in removing the residue left on the piece and brings out the more shine of the piece and Sunshine Cloth creates a little bit of a protective anti-tarnish coating on the piece to maintain its shinenes for longer.
15. Tarnish Shield, or similar lacquer shield, will keep the piece of jewelry shiny until the tarnish wears off. This is rarely used. It is primarily used on those jewelry that has to be on display for a long time.
Silver Jewelry does not turn black immediately. First the tarnish will take on a golden hue, and then it will turn the piece black. This is a natural process. Higher sulfide levels are due to humidity or air pollution. Always remember more humid the climate is ,more are the chances of silver getting tarnished.
To prevent tarnish follow these 15 tips:
1. Store your jewelry in a cool, dry place. Silver tarnishes when exposed to air, so it's a good idea to keep your silver in airtight zip lock plastic bags or an airtight container when not in use. This will help to slow the tarnishing process and protect your jewelry from scratching.
2. Remove your silver jewelry when cleaning, wimming and taking a shower. Before using any product that contains bleach,ammonia,alcohol,fingernail polish removers that contain acetone, and turpentine always remember to remove your silver jewelry. As some of these can cause a breakdown in the metal alloys and makes your jewelry beyond repair and dull.
3. While sleeping remove your jewelery. Movement during sleep can also cause stress.
4. The best way to clean your jewelry is with a professional jewelry polishing cloth. The cloth is treated with cleaning chemicals and not only will the cloth last a long time, it will give you an amazing shine each and every time. Rub gently in a lengthwise motion and it will also shine the stones.
5. The acids in salad dressings, mayonnaise and eggs can tarnish your silver, so try not to serve these foods when you use your silver. Or, if you must, rinse it right away after you use your silver with these foods.
6. Silver polishing cloths are available at major supermarkets, hardware and jewelry stores.
7. Use a non-abrasive brand name liquid or paste silver polish to remove heavy tarnish. Rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove all traces of polish from your gemstones. Dont forget to dry your jewelry before storing it in an airtight zip lock bag or container. Never use toothpaste as it is very abrasive.
8. Never dip any Silver Jewelry in 'dip' solutions or commercial cleaning solutions even though it may say that it is for silver jewelry. Dip cleaners will work only for first few times only,but after that silver jewelry will not look the same and may change its color. And it can also damage the stones and beads.
9. If you find that you need more than a polishing cloth, another simple way to clean your silver jewelry is to fill an aluminum pan with hot (but not boiling) tap water. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir a bit. Add your jewelry and let soak for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly. (Note: some dyed beads may lose their color when cleaned in this manner. Test first before cleaning the whole piece.)
10. Take a large pot (not non-stick), and line the inside with aluminum foil. Put in 8 cups of water, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup salt, and 1/4 cup liquid dish soap, and stir it a little. Place your Sterling Silver Jewelry into the solution. Bring the to a simmer for a few minutes. Then turn off the burner and let it sit for another couple of minutes. Then using a colander or strainer, pour out the solution. Rinse with cold water. Make sure you've account for all your jewelry before you throw away the aluminum. It will be dirty because the oxides on your jewelry were transferred to it. Your Sterling Silver Jewelry should now look like new!
11. Get a tin pie plate and line the bottom with aluminium foil. Sprinkle some baking soda on the tin foil, and lay your necklace on it. Boil a little water and pour it over the tin foil.Your necklace will be shiny in seconds. This is very easy ,fast and natural way of keeping siver jewelry shining.
12. Soak your jewelery in a water/baking soda solution. Or, use baking soda and a tiny bit of water (to make a paste) and a drop of dish detergent, and use that paste to clean your chains.
13. Easy way to keep silver clean is to put the silver in an aluminum dish and liberally sprinkle it with baking soda and then pour boiling water over it all. When it cools, remove and dry. It will remove all the tarnish and makes it very shiny.
14. You can even use silver dip, dip the piece quickly in and out of the dip. Then immediately rinse it in clean water. When the piece dries, buff it with a soft cotton cloth or a Sunshine Cloth.Buffing helps in removing the residue left on the piece and brings out the more shine of the piece and Sunshine Cloth creates a little bit of a protective anti-tarnish coating on the piece to maintain its shinenes for longer.
15. Tarnish Shield, or similar lacquer shield, will keep the piece of jewelry shiny until the tarnish wears off. This is rarely used. It is primarily used on those jewelry that has to be on display for a long time.
