There’s nothing like the gorgeous shine of one of your newly-purchased sterling silver pieces. We’ve all been completely swooned by the shimmery reflection of wearing new jewelry. Unfortunately, we’ve also had to deal with our high-end favorites becoming darker and discolored over time. So, why exactly does this happen? How can we prevent our lovely sterling silver jewelry from tarnishing over time?
It is simple, and we’ll give you the same advice we use.
First – Why does jewelry tarnish?
Sterling Silver is a type of copper alloy. When copper reacts to moisture, sulfur in the atmosphere, and other small compounds, blackening or tarnishing will happen. It is nearly inevitable, however, there are many cautions that be taken to decrease the tarnishing affect.
Things to Avoid:
Chemicals, soaps, solutions, lotions, creams, chlorine and the-like all have the potential to react to the copper alloy characteristic of sterling silver. In many cases, these substances, such as makeup, contains chemical compounds that will cause a blackening reaction from the jewelry. When washing your hands, dealing with chemicals, cleaning aids, and other solutions, always remove your sterling silver or high-end jewelry. This is a simple preventative method towards tarnishing.
“My jewelry is already tarnished. How do I clean Sterling Silver?”
There are many home remedies on the market, as well as solutions or chemical agents that serve to clean sterling silver. The Jinja Team has always encouraged the public to steer clear of these options. Often times, soaps, these remedies and chemicals will leave build-up on your jewelry. Not only can this irritate the skin over time, but it may also erode your beautiful piece!
What we use and recommend: In order to avoid reacting chemicals and compounds as much as possible, Jinja Jewelry recommends using a combination of the preventative methods stated above, as well as polishing wipes and cloths to clean your sterling silver. There are many of these products on the market, but our personal favorite is Connoisseurs Jewelry Wipes. These wipes can be found at common stores, such as Walmart, Amazon, and others.
