Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Caring for Your Jewelry


Caring for your sterling silver jewelry:

With a few simple steps, you should be able to enjoy your sterling silver jewelry for years to come.  Sterling naturally tarnishes due to reactions with the air, moisture, and other environmental factors.  Following are a few tips to keep your jewelry in great shape:






1)    Wear it often- your body’s natural oils will actually help prevent tarnish on pieces

2)    When not in use, store you jewelry in a sealed plastic Ziploc bag (separate from other pieces to prevent scratching).  I also suggest storing it out of sunlight when not in use. 

*Tip- have you ever seen the small silica bead packs that come in new product packages (they are usually just an inch or so wide)- I’ve found them in pill bottles, shoe boxes, purses, etc.  Silica actually absorbs and holds water vapor.  Therefore, they are great to throw in jewelry drawers to help remove moisture and prevent tarnish

3)    Each order comes with a small, reusable, sample polish cloth.  Gentle rub your *dry jewelry with the cloth to remove any discoloration.  Use this on your pieces as often as needed (better to use it every few weeks- or at the first sign of any tarnish (a brownish/yellow tint will progress to a darker/black tarnish without cleaning)
If you need a larger polish cloth, you can find these for sale on my Etsy store, and at jewelry and craft stores.

4)    Although, I recommend removing your jewelry before showering, swimming, exercising, sleeping, etc., it actually is okay to wash your pieces in soapy warm water to remove any dirt.  I use Dawn dish soap and warm water and gently rinse pieces every now and then.  Pat them dry them with a soft, nonabrasive cloth (old t-shirts are perfect). Once dry, use the polish cloth to restore shine if needed.