Many people wonder just how to take care of their silver jewelry. When you first purchased that silver necklace, ring or broach it was shiny and beautiful. In time silver tarnishes from the interaction of silver and sulfides in the air.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry
How to Clean Silver Jewelry - First the tarnish will take on a golden hue, and eventually, it will turn the piece black. This is a natural process. Higher sulfide levels are associated with humidity and/or air pollution. Keep in mind that the more humid the climate, the faster sterling will tarnish. On a summer day in Jackson, Mississippi, all you have to do is walk out the door and the silver starts turning black very quickly.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry - Choosing a cleaning brush. Be careful on the type of brushes you choose to deep clean Sterling Silver. Stay away from hard bristle brushes with horsehair and abrasive style brushes. The best cleaning brushes to use may be a baby tooth brush, a mushroom brush, very soft bristle toothbrush also consider using a sunshine cloth, which can be used wet or dry.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry - Rinse in warm water and pat dry. If silver is tarnished, use a silver-polishing cloth or a jar of silver-cleaning fluid, such as Goddard’s Silver Dip (available at drugstores). (Silver cleaner won’t harm gold and platinum, but it won’t clean them, either.) For jewelry with intricate designs, use a silver-cleaning paste, which can get into small crevices, (Don’t use toothpaste or other abrasive cleaners, which will scratch.) Wipe with a clean, soft cloth.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry - One method is to place a few pinches of baking soda or other mild non-phosphate detergents on your jewelry, then wash with mineral free water by either rubbing with fingers or using a soft cloth. Scrubbers or soft tooth brushes may be used for a deeper cleaning only if necessary, since they may scratch the surface and dull the jewelry’s polish.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry - There are also chemical cleaners available, but repeated use of liquid cleaners can result in discoloration overtime, therefore, such cleaners should only be used sparingly and only when other methods of cleaning fail.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry - Professional polishing: Clean silver jewelry that still isn’t looking like new may be scratched and in need of extensive polishing to be shiny again. This buffing process is done in stages with abrasive papers, not with a polishing cloth, and is a job for your local jeweler. Such polishing will remove some silver so storing your jewelry carefully will save your silver, and save you some time and money, too.
How to Clean Silver Jewelry - Another option to clean silver jewelry that incorporates both methods are specially designed cloths that have a cleaning solution. One of the benefits of using one of these cloths to clean your silver jewelry is that you can control what the solution touches. Thus if the piece does contain gemstones you can ensure that the solution only comes in contact with the silver. For those who would like to clean silver jewelry in this manner you can find out at your local jewelry retailer about the availability and pricing of the cloths.
Well this article has covered some simple ways on how to clean silver jewelry to help you with your question to how to clean silver jewelry.
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