Silver jewelry is a beautiful addition to anyone's collection, as it can last for a long time and can transform any outfit. However, to keep them in such good condition you will need to take extra care with them. In this guide, we explore how to prevent your silver jewelry from tarnishing.
What causes the silver to tarnish?
If you own any silver jewelry, you have probably seen how with time, the shine and sparkle wear off. It is normal for silver jewelry to tarnish, but there are various ways you can stop it. What causes your jewelry to tarnish? The answer is that when these sulfur compounds come into contact with silver, a chemical reaction causes silver sulfide to form on the surface. This silver sulfide is the dull, dark substance we see as tarnish. So, to prevent tarnishing, it's important to store and display silver jewelry away from these sulfur sources.
Store Your Jewelry Properly
You should store all of your important jewelry properly to prevent it from getting damaged or tarnished. Something important, like your Star of David jewelry, should be stored to keep it untarnished. If you keep your silver jewelry in an airtight container, like a jewelry box or resealable plastic bag. This prevents it from being exposed to air and humidity which causes tarnishing.
Another tip is to wrap the pieces individually in anti-tarnish cloth or paper to provide an extra barrier. This could be a slight hassle if you have lots of jewelry but it is definitely worth keeping it in good condition as it will last longer. You should avoid letting the silver jewelry touch the other metals or materials like rubber bands which can accelerate tarnishing.
Clean Your Jewellery Regularly
Cleaning can do so much, a small job that lets you keep your special jewelry for longer. To clean it, you should polish the silver jewelry regularly using a jeweler's cloth or soft toothbrush with toothpaste, baking soda, or silver polish as this removes any existing tarnish and helps prevent further buildup. After polishing, rinse with water and dry thoroughly to remove any residue.
Avoid Contaminants
You should do your best not to expose silver to household chemicals like bleach, ammonia, soaps or perfumes as these can cause tarnishing. Use gloves when handling silver to prevent fingerprints and skin oils from causing tarnish. By storing silver properly, cleaning it regularly, and avoiding chemical exposure, you can keep your silver jewelry bright, shiny and like new for longer. If you are a busy person or are very active, then you should try to remember to take the silver jewelry off before swimming or doing housework.
Wear It
Wearing your silver jewelry is a surprising technique to prevent corrosion. In fact, your skin's oils can keep silver from tarnishing. This is a cool fact that not many people know, a small tip to preventing tarnishing is to simply wear it. You should find an excuse to start to wear your jewelry pieces again if they've been collecting dust in a jewelry box and then try to store your silver jewelry as soon as you're ready to remove it.
