Caring for your Sterling Silver Jewellery

It is a common misconception that ‘real’ silver jewellery does not scratch or oxidise. In fact sterling silver jewellery (925) is a made from a precious metal which is softer than other non precious metals such as stainless steel and needs care. All sterling silver will oxidise (tarnish) with time. But properly maintained silver jewellery improves with age and develops a lush patina. Treat your silver well, care for it properly and it will reward you with a long life and a lustrous look.

The girls from The Silver Store wear their silver jewellery everyday, even exercise and shower in it but here are some tips for bringing the shine back to your sterling silver pieces and caring for your silver pieces.

• Avoid sleeping in your jewellery this will increase the life span, you will be surprised how much wear sleeping in jewellery produces.
• Avoid scratches by reducing pendants rubbing against another items, including other pieces of jewellery, zips and bracelets rubbing on desks etc and avoid putting it in mouth.
• Storing  silver jewellery when not wearing it in a place which will not be moving  – handbags, sport bags and cars glove boxes are not good places to leave jewellery in as they move and the jewellery will rub and scratch.
• Clean your silver jewellery with a mild soap and water solution, allowing the water to bead up, and then patting dry with a very soft cloth. For more stubborn dirt, use a cleaning cloth designed for silver use.
• Store your silver in a cool, dry place, preferably in a tarnish-preventive bag or wrapped in the soft pouch and small zip lock bag they arrived in.  Definitely do not leave in the bathroom as the moist air will cause it to tarnish quicker.
• Store pieces individually so that they don’t knock together and scratch.
• Do not rub silver with anything other than a polishing cloth. Tissue paper or paper towels can cause scratches because of the fibres in these products.
• Make sure your silver is not exposed to air and light during storage, wearing it more often actually slows the tarnish process.
• Don’t wear sterling silver in chlorinated pools or spas or when working with household chemicals such as bleaches.
• Avoid spraying jewellery with perfumes or contact with skin creams, especially creams that help treat acne or AHA or similar acidic creams that help exfoliate the skin.

You can quickly and easily remove any tarnish with use of a special Silver Cloth to renew the brilliance and shine,  our polishing cloths also slow down the tarnishing process so you don’t have to use the cloth often.

Please note: rose gold or yellow gold plated jewellery need more care than full silver jewellery you will find some helpful tips here.