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Make Your Sterling Silver Jewelry Last a Lifetime: Jewelry Caring Tips
Sterling silver is, well, awe inspiring. They have a functional beauty that is hard to define. Aside from being a standard of elegance and beauty, sterling silver is also a great choice for jewelry of all kinds.
Some people mistake all silver for sterling silver. Actually, there are many types of silver jewelry. Sterling has come to define alloys of 92.5% silver with the remaining 7.5% composed of other metals. This is done because silver on its own is too soft – just like gold – to be of any practical use.
Thankfully, with this infusion of other metals, silver can now be made into jewelry and other fine crafts that can be used in any practical manner. While there are other standards of silver with higher percentages of silver, for example Britannia, Mexican, and Fine Silver, sterling silver is the most common in use for jewelry and other crafts.
In the early 19th century, silver used to be a must on every respectable dining table. With its newfound usability, sterling silver was the toast of every regal table. Due to this popularity, there was an increase in the need for silver smiths in the US and in Europe.
Today, sterling silver retains the elegance and nostalgia of those bygone days and will still be found on many classy restaurants. As jewelry, it is a valuable heirloom and still makes a great addition to the family jewels.
Given their value, it is then important that everyone to be aware of the proper means of taking care of these wares. If they are neglected they could corrode, and/or show other forms of tarnishing. Here are some tips to help you take care of your sterling silver.
1. Keep Your Silver Properly
Most of the damage done to sterling silver is the result of improper storing. If you keep your silver – the antique heirlooms most especially- you risk tarnishing them to the point that restoring them would involve a lot of work and a lot of money.
First of all, keep your silver out of the light. Direct sunlight can increase the oxidation in the silver. Make sure the storage room is out of the sunlight and in a cool, yet dry environment.
You might also want to keep the silver away from salt since it is a powerful silver corrosive. You only need to look at the blackening around the holes at the top of silver salt shakers to prove this.
Dry environments are very important because high humidity can cause tarnishing in silver. Ditto for wet and damp environments. While the pure silver itself does not corrode due to oxygen, the other metals mixed into sterling silver usually do.
You should also avoid wood from coming into contact with the silver. Treated wood may have chemicals that could cause damage and tarnishing on silver. The same goes for wood finishings like lacquer and varnish.
A wooden box would be okay as long as the insides are covered with some sort of cloth or felt.
2. If Not in Use, Keep
If you are out to a classy dinner, or on a big date, breaking out the silver jewels is the logical thing to do. Just remember that after the date, you should put your jewelry back where it belongs – in your storage box.
This way, they keep shiny longer. Also, you will not need to maintain them as often too. You could also purchase plastic bags made of Polyethylene or Mylar and use them to protect the silver in its storage box.
Also, when keeping your jewelry, make sure they do not scratch against one another or other items in its storage box. This is a cardinal sin many people commit when keeping their jewelry.
3. Cleaning It Up
There are many silver cleaning preparations on the market. Among them are Wright’s Silver Cream and Twinkle Silver Cream. These preparations remove the sulfur from the silver without harming the metal itself.
Do not try to polish it roughly yourself as you may cause irreparable damage to the metal. If the above-mentioned chemicals do not work, you may have to pay a visit to your local jeweler for some help.
Everything precious should be well-cared for. That goes for silver as well. Thankfully, maintaining the beauty of these classy jewelry does not require a degree in rocket science. All you have to do is keep the tips here in mind and you are good to go.
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