How To Care For Silver And Sterling Silver Jewellery

The good thing about silver jewellery is the quality. Most silver jewellery including silver plated can last long over time with a little bit of tender loving care.
However silver is susceptible to corrosion over time.

Silver Chain

Regular exposure to air, oils, chemicals and dust can damage even the best silver jewellery over time.
So what can you do to protect your sterling silver or silver plated jewellery from corruption?

Don't;

• Store all your silver jewellery together. This will cause friction and lead to scratches and marks on your lovely jewellery items.
• Don't use abrasive cleaning solutions including, harsh jewellery cleaners or cloths. This takes away the surface of your silver leaving it all tarnish and discoloured looking.
• Keep away from grease, glue and other harsh chemicals which can seriously damage the enamel of the silver and also leave your jewellery looking dirty and feeling oily.
• Don't spray on perfume, deodorants, hair spray while wearing your silver item.
• Don't scrub any of your silver jewellery, either with a tooth brush, cloth or other item during cleaning as it will damage the top of the silver making it unwearable.
• The quickest way for silver to tarnish is repeated contact with air.
• Try not to drop your jewellery. It can cause marks, dents or scratches especially on a hard surface like flooring. 

Do;

• Store all your jewellery separately in seal able air tight bags.
• You can also store them in anti-tarnish jewellery boxes available from any good craft or beading supplier.
• Polish your silver by using professional jewellery polishing cloth. Don't cut corners with do it yourself methods as this can cause more harm then good.
• Wear your silver as often as possible. Wearing helps the silver to retain it's shape and keep it in good condition.
• If your silver jewellery does get tarnished, use a good silver anti-tarnishing cloth or cleaner to remove the tarnish. Always read the manufacturer's instructions first before attempting to use any professional cleaner.
• Silver can be cleaned with soapy water, however it' better to use a jewellery cleaner especially made for silver. Try Argos or Amazon for some inexpensive cleaning cloths which are ideal if your on holiday or need to quickly clean your jewellery.
• Dips can be good as a one-off, but can cause long lasting damage if used incorrectly. Only use if your silver is extremely tarnish, don't use on silver plated metal, as it takes out the colour and causes erosion of your metal.

Finally if your silver jewellery is extremely tarnish, only a jeweller maybe able to save it.
For mild tarnish you could use baking soda however this should be a last resort.