How do you look after and clean silver jewellery?
If you are not sure here are some tips to help you keep your silver jewellery looking its best.

Storage tips

Jewellery can be fragile so it is best to store jewellery pieces separately so pieces do not rub or scratch one another. You can use the box or pouch you got it in originally. Another is to keep it in a jewellery box with separate compartments. This will prevent your jewellery from getting dusty and dirty as well as keep fragile jewellery safe.

Keep chains fastened so that there is less chance of them getting tangled up.

If you have any oxidized pendants, store the pendant separately from its chain as it could scratch the fragile surface.

To slow down the rate at which silver tarnishes you could store your jewellery in anti tarnish bags.

Don’t store jewellery in newspaper as it increases the rate of tarnishing

Humidity increases the rate of tarnishing so do not store jewellery in any material that traps moisture eg bubble wrap. If you live in a humid place, like me, keep your jewellery in a dry place, not the bathroom! You could also keep a humidity absorber close by.

caring for your jewellery pics (1).jpg — general cleaning

Remove dust with a soft cloth.
Provided your jewellery item doesn’t have any water sensitive materials like wood you can use soap, water and a soft toothbrush or bristle brush to remove dirt and grime. This is great for textured or engraved surfaces or jewellery with gemstones. Just rinse carefully and dry with a soft cloth.

Untitled design (1).jpg — surface finish

It’s important to be aware of any different surface finishes your jewellery might have as they may need to be treated differently. There is a wide range of beautiful surface finishes. I wonder what you have in your collection?
highly polished (mirror finish)
satin (semi matt, matt)
oxidised (greyish or black colour)
textured surface
engraved
keum boo (applied gold foil on silver)

Tarnished silver

Tarnish is the brownish colour that appears on the surface of silver over time. There is one great thing you can do to slow the tarnish process down and that is to wear your jewellery. Yes metal moving against itself and your skin will help keep it clean!

Highly polished

Slight tarnishing may be removed using a silver polishing cloth. These cloths are impregnated with chemicals that remove tarnish. They should not be washed and can be used until they are black.

Highly tarnished jewellery can be cleaned using one of the many gentle silver polishing products available on the market. They come in many different forms including liquid, paste, cream, foam or wadding. Always read and follow the instructions carefully. If you still have one you could visit your high street jeweller as they often sell these products and can advise as to which is best for your particular jewellery. If you have a very precious piece you may find they even offer a cleaning and polishing service.

Satin

Satin finished surfaces should be treated a little more carefully. They should not be rubbed hard with a polishing cloth as it might change the surface appearance. A silver dip may be the best option for these kinds of surface finishes. It is a short sharp treatment. Follow the instructions carefully.

Textured and engraved

A silver dip is also an effective way to quickly remove tarnish from textured surfaces and hard to reach spots. These are quite strong solutions so are not to be recommended for over use. Please read the instructions carefully first and rinse your piece in soapy water and then water before drying it carefully.

Oxidized

These are produced by treating silver with a chemical solution producing dark grey or blackened surface effect. This surface finish can wear away over time as you wear the jewellery if it rubs on clothes for example, but this only adds to the character of the piece in most cases. The best thing to do is gently rub the surface with a soft cloth, but not for long as you don’t want to inadvertently remove the oxidation. There is a product called Renaissance Wax which acts like a polish and protector of oxidized surfaces, it is quite costly though!

Keum Boo

Satin silver Keum Boo jewellery can be cleaned using a gentle silver dip solution. Just read and follow the instructions carefully

Oxidized Keum Boo jewellery should not be cleaned with any silver polishing product as it will remove the oxidized finish. The best thing for oxidized surfaces is just to rub the surfaces gently with a soft cloth.

Untitled design (2).jpg — jewellery with gemstones

Dust and bits of dirt can be brushed out using soap and water with a soft toothbrush or bristle brush.
There are also commercial cleaning products specially for jewellery with gemstones such as dips that you soak your piece in.

Old wives tales

You might have heard about cleaning remedies such as bicarbonate of soda or toothpaste. These might work to some extent but they are quite harsh cleansers if they are rubbed directly onto the surface they may cause scratches over time and deplete precious metal content. I wouldn’t recommend these methods are used frequently.

An eco friendly option to try…..

Cover the bottom of a small bowl with aluminium foil. Pour a cup of hot water into the bowl and mix in the following:

1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon dish washing detergent

Put the jewellery to be cleaned into the bowl so it sits on top of the foil and is covered by the solution. After 5 to 10 minutes rinse your jewellery in cool water and dry it with a soft cloth. Discard the solution and the foil, which may have become a grey colour, repeat if necessary.