How to Care for Your Silver Jewelry

We work hard to ensure that every piece of silver jewelry we sell shines with a brilliant finish, and with a little care you can keep yours looking that way for generations to come. Just make sure you follow these three simple rules:

Cleaning. Because silver’s chemical makeup makes it prone to tarnishing, you should clean your jewelry at least once a year. All you need to do this is a sink and some mild dish detergent. Simple, right? Just apply some soap and rub the jewelry gently under warm water to wash away any oils or other residue that might lead to tarnishing.

Polishing. If and when black spots appear on your silver necklaces or rings, don’t panic. What you’re seeing is an inevitable reaction to the humidity in the air, but the tarnish will clean away just as easily at it forms. Although there are dozens of brands of silver polish available on the market, they can be costly and may contain toxic chemicals that will hurt your jewelry in the long run. A safer and equally effective way to remove tarnish is to heat an aluminum-foil-lined pan on your stove and then add a few tablespoons of baking soda and water. After the baking soda has dissolved, just soak your jewelry in the solution for a minute or two and wipe the tarnish away.

Storing. The best way to prevent your silver jewelry from becoming tarnished is to store it properly. To do this, you should wrap each piece of silver in archival-quality tissue paper and then place them in a sealed polyethelene bag like the ones made by Ziploc. While this should be enough to keep them safe from the humidity of the air, you can go a step further and store all the bags in a chest or box lined with tarnish-resistant fabric to guarantee their safety.

Maintaining silver doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. As long as you follow these guidelines for proper care, you can guarantee that your silver jewelry will stay precious and beautiful for generations. If you don’t own any silver jewelry yet, then check out our silver collection online. We’ve got so many different styles of necklaces, rings and earrings that you’re sure to find something you’ll want to keep forever.