The trend of jewelry keeps on changing every now and then. But the sterling silver jewelry never goes out of fashion. So if you want to keep up with the trends, then you must buy sterling silver jewelry pieces. This beautiful alloy is versatile, sophisticated and timeless. Sterling silver is one of the most commonly used metals in high-end and high-quality jewelry pieces and accessories.
Silver is cheaper and easier to maintain when compared to gold and platinum. Gold and platinum retain their shine and luster for a very long time without tarnishing. Also maintaining these precious metals is not very pocket friendly. Buffing and polishing of gold are very costly.
Sterling silver and even real 925 sterling silver, gets easily tarnished with time. Wondering how to prevent that from happening? Read on we have put together a list to answer all of your questions about caring for silver jewelry.
Does sterling silver tarnish?
This can be a tricky question to ask. Technically pure silver does not tarnish. However, in jewelry crafting pure silver is too soft to be used. Hence, to strengthen the silver, a small quantity of copper is added by all the jewelers. The resulting product is 925 sterling silver jewelry that contains 92.5% of pure silver and 7.5% of copper. Copper is the primary material used for silver jewelry.
Unfortunately, as metal gets added, sterling silver, even real 925 sterling silver, tarnish.
Why does sterling silver tarnish?
Tarnishing of silver is the discoloration of silver pieces that develops a yellow or black tint. However, at room temperature the pure silver in sterling silver does not react and tarnish, the copper added quickly reacts with the salt and sulfur in the air, making sterling silver rust.
Silver tarnish can take place even faster if it comes in contact with detergents or cosmetics. The chemicals in our sweat are enough to cause corrosion in silver jewelry pieces when worn.
The great news is that with sterling silver jewelry, regular care can quickly slow down the tarnishing. And in case your sterling silver jewelry pieces have already been spotted with tarnish, good home clean up and professional polishing can make it look like new.
Thus sterling silver jewelry is a popular and budget-friendly alternative to gold or platinum. Hence becomes a go-to metal for jewelry when you want a glamorous piece without breaking the bank. Check out our best collection of wholesale sterling silver jewelry at affordable prices.
How much time does it take for sterling silver jewelry to tarnish?
It isn’t easy to put a precise time frame on how fast silver pieces get tarnished. Numerous things can affect the rate of tarnish on silver. It quickly tarnishes faster if you come into regular contact with chemicals, like using beauty products often or going to the pool.
Always try to take good care of your precious jewelry and keepsakes so that they can look good and last for years to come!
How to prevent sterling silver from tarnishing?
1. Keep away from solution: If silver gets into contact with salty solutions or chemicals, it gets easily corroded. Hence it is essential to keep your jewelry away from chemicals or any house products or toiletries solution.
You cannot shower with sterling silver jewelry. One must avoid wearing your sterling silver when showering. Generally, water does not harm the sterling silver jewelry, but there is a probability that it could lead to tarnishing.
You should not wear it when doing dishes. Also avoid wearing the silver pieces in activities that make you sweat, like outdoor chores or sports.
2. Learn the special rules for storing sterling silver jewelry: There are many ways for storing silver jewelry that helps prevent excessive tarnishing and also keep it from getting damaged. You should store your silver pieces correctly so that when you want to wear them, they’re just in need of a quick polish instead of major repairs.
One of the simple ways to prevent silver from getting tarnished is to store it properly. If you protect your silver jewelry from moisture, air and humidity, it will be safer from tarnishing.
For this, you should store all your silver pieces in airtight boxes or bags which will prevent air contact. You can make use of anti-tarnishing strips which are easily available on the market. You need to put it inside the boxes to prevent them from tarnishing.
Also, silica gel and pieces of chalk are used to absorb all the air and moisture presents in your storage boxes.
3. Take off your jewelry first and last to put on: Another important factor to prevent sterling silver jewelry from tarnishing is that your jewelry should be the last thing you put on, after you apply makeup and perfume and the first to be taken off, before going to shower or activities.
This helps to prevent contact between any possible chemicals of salty water to your jewelry.
4. Take care of your home and work environment: You should first check your work environment that if you are dealing with chemicals or other solutions regularly or not. If this is the case, then you should remove your silver jewelry piece before working with chemicals.
People living in a rather polluted environment, your jewelry might tarnish faster due to the high level of sulphur in the air. Hence it will need more regular polishing as well.
5. Wear it regularly: After reading this all, you must be thinking to store your silver jewelry and never wear it. But this should be the last thing to do.
One of the top ways to keep sterling silver jewelry beautiful is to wear it. It should look new and last for a longer time if you wipe it off regularly and take good care of it.
You must take them off at night, and keep them wrapped under a soft cloth in zipped bags to minimise reaction with the air.
Or you can also polish them more regularly to maintain their perfect shine.
How to clean sterling silver jewelry?
There are countless ways of cleaning your silver jewelry.
- Soap and water: It is the most common method because of the gentleness of soap and water. Before you try anything else, this should be your first line of defence.
- Baking soda and water: Avoid the use of toothpaste instead use baking soda and water. Toothpaste has many ingredients that may damage your silver. Make a paste from baking soda and water, apply a small amount onto a cloth and rub gently.
- White vinegar and baking soda: This method will help remove heavy tarnish. You can soak your sterling silver in a cup of white vinegar and 2tbsp of baking soda for two to three hours. Rinse your jewelry and pat dry.
- Finish with polish: After all the cleaning you can finish the process by using a polishing cloth that’s specifically used for sterling silver.
Conclusion:
Now that you know everything about sterling silver jewelry, and you are sure how to handle them next time you purchase more. Check out our beautiful wholesale sterling silver jewelry collection.
Remember that it is easy to prevent tarnish rather than is to remove it after it occurs. If you find that tarnish beginning to form, be sure to clean it immediately. These tips will surely help to keep your sterling silver jewelry looks new for years to come!