Sterling silver is an alloy with a minimum of 92.5% content of silver. Sterling jewelry is necessarily stamped with number.925 at its back or at some other inconspicuous point. Care should be taken at the time of buying to check that the piece bears that stamp as a sign of authentication. That having said, let’s see how to keep the metal free from getting tarnished. Prevention, they say, is better than cure and that hold true for this metal also.
You should understand what causes tarnishing of jewelry. Silver, on coming in contact with air reacts with sulfur present in air and gets deposited in the form of sulfi
tes on the metal to produce tarnishing effect. So, if its contact with air is prevented or minimized, it won’t get tarnished so soon. That’s why it is desirable to store sterling jewelry in airtight boxes or bags. You may follow any of these tips for storage of such jewelry.
- While storing jewelry in a plastic zip bag, squeeze out as much of air as possible before zipping the bag.
- Keeping the item wrapped up in silver cloth also helps. The fabric is sold by the yard by certain stores. You’ll need to use this fabric for storing large items like candle stands and bowls.
- Jewelry designer Charles Albert suggests that you should be wearing silver jewelry more frequently, as body oils that get deposited on it, help prevent its tarnishing.
Despite your best efforts and the precautions taken, the jewelry may get blackened. That means you have to find ways to remove the sulfites deposited on the metal. Once the sulfites are removed, the metal regains its original shine. There are quite a few ways for removing the deposits and depending upon the size of the piece or the intricacy of its design you may have to try one of the following methods.
- You get cleaning and polishing products in grocery stores or a jewelry store. However, repeated rubbing and cleaning may affect the engraving or shape of the item.
-Museums that are expected to conserve the originality of old pieces make use of certain chemical solutions that clears the tarnish even from the nooks and crannies of the design. Use of such chemicals doesn’t require any rubbing, thus maintaining the original shape and intricate design. These chemicals are also available in the market.
-Here is a simple and convenient way of cleaning your personal items at home. Place your piece of jewelry in an aluminum pan and sprinkle baking soda over it. In the absence of aluminum pan, you may use a glass pan and keep a piece of aluminum below your item. Heat water to its boiling point and steadily pour it over the item already covered with baking soda. Be careful while handling boiling water.
Water reacts with baking soda and produces a fizz, which you should be able to see. Formation of fizz confirms that chemical reaction is taking place. Keep turning the jewelry with a fork or spoon and remove the item after water has gone cold. Pat it dry with a soft cloth. Depending on the severity of the deposit, you may have to repeat the process a couple of times till you get satisfactory results.