Caring For Your New Silver Jewelry
Pure silver, a precious and malleable metal, is usually alloyed with copper to enhance its durability and prevent damage to the metal. Typically, sterling silver consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Over time oxidation reactions will occur, especially with sulfur and oxygen, causing silver to become tarnished. Care should be taken to prevent this tarnishing, and many products are available that will easily remove tarnish buildup that silver naturally acquires.
When cared for properly,
your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. Simply wearing your
jewelry helps prevent, or at least slow, the oxidation process keeping
your jewelry looking new.
Traditional sterling, which
has no treatment or plating, can be cared for with a polishing cloth or
sterling cleaner. To prevent tarnishing, sterling should be stored in an
airtight container or zip-lock bag. You can also purchase anti-tarnish
strips to store with your jewelry to further prevent tarnish. Oxidized
sterling has been darkened to enhance the detail or create an antique look
and should be cleaned with a polishing cloth. Do not dip oxidized sterling
silver in a cleaner as it will remove the oxidation. Sterling silver that
has been plated with rhodium for a platinum look should not require cleaning.
Plated sterling is sometimes referred to as "anti-tarnish". If your
plated silver ever does need cleaning, use a cleaning cloth, never a liquid
cleaner that may destroy the plating.
Most tarnish can be removed
with a silver polishing cloth, and we recommend that you use this method
for light to moderate cleaning. A silver cleaning dip should only
be used in the event of dark, heavy tarnish. Please be sure to read
and follow your cleaner’s instructions carefully! Porous gems such
as pearls and turquoise should never be cleaned using any kind of dip.
Never use abrasive polishes to clean your silver jewelry as they may scratch
your jewelry’s finish.