How to Clean Silver Jewellery

Silver jewellery, we all have it, be it charms, necklaces, rings and bracelets. It is inevitable though, that they will begin to look old and tarnished eventually

Over time any piece of silver jewellery will tarnish because of one simple reason, air. Silver jewellery of a good quality, including our jewellery are made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals. However our products do not contain nickel. Included in these metals is copper, which reacts with moisture and sulfur in the air, causing the tarnish. 

When this happens there are a number of simple ways to clean silver jewellery, making it look as good as new.

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Polishing

For less severe tarnish a polishing cloth is a great way to get your silver jewellery shiny again.

You can use specifically designed silver cloths for this or lint-free flannel, microfiber, or other soft non abrasive cloth will work just as well and won’t scratch the jewellery.

Simply, rub the product in large back and forth motions with the cloth, avoid circular motions as well as not using the same section of cloth, to stop the tarnish from transferring back onto your jewellery.

DIY at Home Cleaner

If you’ve tried polishing your jewellery and it didn't remove all the tarnish, there are a number of easy home cleaners that will do the job.

Wiki How, 2020

Baking soda and Aluminium - Line a dish with aluminum foil, then place the jewellery in the dish, making sure it’s touching the aluminum foil, after that just add 1 tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water to the dish and let it sit for 10 minutes 

Soap and water - Mix a few drops of dish soap with warm water. Dip one of the soft cloths mentioned above and rub the jewellery in those back and forth motions

Baking soda paste - Mix three parts baking soda to one part water, wet the silver and apply the paste to the jewellery using a gentle cloth 

Preventing Tarnishing

There are a number of preventive measures to stop our silver jewellery tarnishing quickly.

Avoid contact with harsh chemicals including hairsprays, perfumes, as well as household cleaning products. You should remove them whilst using these products, or make sure your jewellery is the last thing you put on in the morning, before you’re out the door. Saltwater and chlorine can also affect the silver, so avoid wearing when swimming. 

Direct sunlight can also cause the jewellery to tarnish, so avoid wearing it when exposed to increased sunlight, including when you’re sunbaking, swimming or spending long periods of time outside in the sun.

Friction causes tarnishing, so believe it or not the more often you wear your jewellery, the shinier it will be.

It is also recommended to store jewellery in an anti tarnish bag or acid free tissue paper or cloth in a dry place. A lot of materials contain a mild acid, this turns sterling silver and gold black over time. Plastic bags that aren't jewellery bags, also have the same issue.

Mikayla Burrell