Storage
• store your Sterling Silver jewelry in a
dark, cool place away from direct sunlight or other sources
of extreme heat such as radiators. A perfect place is in a
jewelry box in amongst your clothes.
• Sterling Silver jewelry, as is the case
with all fine jewelry, should be stored alone in a separate
compartment in a jewelry box or in its own soft pouch. Not
doing this will eventually result in scratches, or even breaks
if there are gemstones in the jewelry.
• Never store your Sterling Silver jewelry in paper, cardboard, or cotton filled boxes, as these contain
trace elements of sulfur. For best results, place the items
in a sealed, airtight plastic bag or jeweler's sulfur-free
tissue prior to boxing and wrapping.
Cleaning & Polishing
Over time, Sterling Silver will develop a
mellow patina caused by ‘Oxidization’, which results in an
‘Antique’ look where tarnish builds up in the fine details
giving your Sterling Silver jewelry a beautifully unique air.
You may or may not appreciate this aspect; you should consider
this before making any attempts at cleaning your jewelry.
• The best way to preserve and encourage
the tarnished ‘Antique’ look to Sterling Silver jewelry can
be done by not cleaning the jewelry with water, and not wearing
the jewelry in the shower or bath.
• The best way to prevent tarnish is to wear your Sterling
Silver jewelry as often as possible.
• If your Sterling Silver does become tarnished,
it is easily restored to its former glory by using warm water
with a mild soap, rinsing it and then making sure to thoroughly
dry it with a fine soft cloth. Soaking is discouraged.
• Use a soft cloth, similar to the cloth
provided with spectacles, in light even strokes for cleaning
the wider surface area, and cotton buds or Q-tips in the same
manner for getting in to more difficult corners.
• Never use tissues or hard brushes, including
toothbrushes, when cleaning or polishing your sterling Silver,
as they will leave scratch marks. This is especially important
if there are gemstones such as pearls mounted into your jewelry.
• Polishing should be done quickly, and all
traces of polish should be removed afterwards. Leaving traces
of polish behind can dull the design by clogging engraved
areas.
• Silver pastes, treated polishing cloths
or other Sterling Silver cleaning materials should be used
under the guidance of your local jeweler, this is especially
true if there are gemstones as these chemicals can destroy
them.
The Dos’ & Don’ts
• Always take your Sterling Silver jewelry off before applying suntan lotion, skin creams, and swimming
in chlorinated or salt water.
• Never wear your jewelry when working with
detergents, bleaches, ammonia or alcohols; these chemicals
will cause discoloration, damage and loosen any gemstones.
• Never use an ultrasonic cleaner, ammonia
or any chemical solution to clean opaque gemstones, such as
turquoise, malachite, onyx, lapis lazuli and opals. They are
a porous stone and may absorb chemicals, which build up inside
the stone and cause discoloration. Simply wipe them gently
with a moist soft cloth until clean.
Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver Care
Some Sterling Silver jewelry is plated with
rhodium; this is designed to make your jewelry tarnish resistant.
Caring for rhodium-plated Sterling Silver jewelry requires
a different approach than non-plated Sterling Silver jewelry.
• Clean it with a soft polishing rag or fine
cleaner, but never use chemical based Silver cleaners because
this will damage the rhodium finish and also the inlaid gemstones.
If you own antique Sterling Silver jewelry or Rhodium plated Sterling Silver jewelry we recommend that
you seek expert advice from your local jeweler who will be
able to instruct you on the best brands of jewelry cleaning
products in your area.
