How To Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry

How should I store my 925 silver jewelry?

We recommend storing your jewelry individually in small plastic bags to help prevent tarnish. Tarnish on silver jewelry is oxidation caused by being in contact with air. A quick polish with a clean cloth or a Sunshine Polishing Cloth then storing in the plastic bag, will keep your silver bright and gemstones sparkling for years to come.

If you have a heavily tarnished piece, you can lightly soak in warm water and gently scrub with a very mild detergent and a soft toothbrush or a wet cloth. Be very careful if your jewelry has pearls or opals, as they are soft and can be damaged.

A jewelry box that has a tarnish-free lining is a great investment for your precious silver jewelry. But even if you have this type of jewelry box, we still recommend the plastic bag storage. Minimize scratches by storing your jewelry in cloth pouches, small plastic bags and in separate compartments in your jewelry box. The bags keep your jewelry separate from each other, which prevents scratching, as well as making the pieces easier for you to find without touching.

We offer anti-tarnish plastic bags for any jewelry you order. These carbon-impregnated plastic bags neutralize the gas and moisture to keep your jewelry shining and ready to wear.

There are also anti-tarnish strips that you can insert into your individual jewelry bags. If you live in a moist climate, place silica gel packs into the bags as they absorb the moisture in the air.

Wearing your jewelry helps to keep it tarnish-free, but a nightly, gentle swipe with a Sunshine cleaning cloth goes a long way to ensure a bright, sparkling finish for the next wearing.

What about preventing tarnish on my sterling silver?

Wearing and handling will slow the oxidation process and keep your silver clean and shiny.

Over time oxidation reactions will occur, especially with sulfur and oxygen, causing silver to become tarnished. One of the best remedies for this is to wear your jewelry! Daily wear will help keep your jewelry polished and it will come to have a wonderful silver patina.

What's the best way to polish my silver jewelry?

Please, never dip any silver jewelry in 'dip' solutions or commercial cleaning solutions even though it may say that it is for silver jewelry. Dip cleaners will work the first few times, but after that the silver jewelry may turn in color and will never look the same. And any gemstones in the jewelry may be damaged from the dip solution.

We do not recommend cleaning your jewelry with toothpaste and a toothbrush as you will be scratching the silver and this may also dislodge gemstones.

The best way to clean your jewelry is with a professional jewelry polishing cloth. The cloth is treated with cleaning chemicals and not only will the cloth last a long time, it will give you an amazing shine each and every time. At Beautiful Silver Jewelry we use the bright yellow 'Sunshine' cleaning cloth.

Silver polishing cloths are available at major supermarkets, at hardware stores and at jewelry stores. We now sell the Sunshine Silver Polishing Cloth

Have a professional jeweler clean your sterling silver jewelry once a year. This will also help protect against gemstone loss, as the jeweler will check for loose stones.

Silver Jewelry Care | How To Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry

How should I store my 925 silver jewelry?

What about preventing tarnish on my sterling silver?

What's the best way to polish my silver jewelry?

What are your anti-tarnish bags?

What exactly is 925 Sterling Silver?

Gemstone Jewelry:

Birthstones

925 sterling silver chains and more