How should I care for and clean my silver jewellery?

Before we send orders to our customers we check every item of silver jewellery to ensure it is in perfect condition.

Over the weeks, months and years all silver jewellery will start to tarnish. This is primarily caused by the 925 sterling silver alloys added to strengthen your silver jewellery, and not the silver itself.

There are some very extreme measures you could take to prevent tarnishing, such as converting the spare room into a specialist silver jewellery storage area!

Thinking more practically, there are other ways in which your silver jewellery rings, earrings, cufflinks, bracelets and chains for example can be carefully protected. One of these is to clean the jewellery regularly with a specialist silver jewellery cleaning cloth. These cloths have been impregnated with anti-tarnish polish. Cleaning sterling silver jewellery is the most sensible way to increase the life-span of your jewellery.

Using these cloths will help keep your jewellery shinny and reflective and many leave a thin layer for future protection against sulphur and other oxidising chemicals. Polishing with these cloths will also provide some protection to items which are accidentally bumped and knocked in the course of everyday life.

Our years of experience have taught us that the best way of cleaning sterling silver jewellery or protecting sterling silver jewellery is to combine a quick polish with a silver cloth every week along with regularly alternating your favourite jewellery to reduce wear and tear.

There are also more practical, cost-free, ways to protect your jewellery from chips, damage, wear and tarnish. Take off any silver items when you wash the dishes, have a shower or bath or go swimming to avoid contact with water and detergents.

Store each item in an inexpensive jewellery box to protect it from knocks and prevent loss. If you keep several pieces of silver in the same box place them in small plastic bags to avoid rubbing and scratching between the items.

Perhaps the best approach is to think of your jewellery just as you think of your clothing. If you wear your favourite shirt every day it will wear out faster than your other shirts - the same is true of your favourite pendants, rings, earrings and other jewellery.

Please note that brand new silver jewellery items may be designed to look antique and seem faded or tarnished from the start. Silver cleaning cloths are not recommended with these items of jewellery. It is often possible to brighten sections of them with a cloth but some parts will remain dark and the overall impression will be uneven.

Furthermore some silver jewellery, including but not limited to oxidised-effect silver and antique-look silver, should not be cleaned or polished with standard jewellery cleaning cloths. Seek professional jewellery cleaning advice when cleaning sterling silver jewellery that has an oxidised or antique look.

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