Do you ever notice your precious metals become dull over time? That’s quite normal with constant wear, especially with those favourite pieces you tend to gravitate towards the most. Although inevitable, its useful to understand jewelry tarnish in order to slow its progress. Learning the proper jewelry care methods and storage techniques are also important.
Understanding Jewelry Tarnish
Jewelry can beco
me dull due to the dirt and grime that gets built up over time (it sounds gross, but it happens!). Jewelry can also tarnish when exposed to body oils, makeup, perfumes, sweat, water and so on.
Silver tends to tarnish much quicker than gold due its reaction to sulfur. Sulfur is all around us, as its present in the air and even present in products we use, like shampoos and soaps. Sterling silver jewelry also contain copper which react when met with oxygen. This means that overtime, your stunning silver will eventually tarnish.
Don’t worry though, there are many easy ways to prolong the life of your favourite pieces and prevent it becoming dull or tarnished quickly. Here are a few things you should keep in mind before you put on your jewelry;
- Always remove your jewelry before you shower, go swimming and exercise. The exposure of water and sweat, can quicken the tarnish!
- Allow perfumes, lotions and sunscreen to dry before you put on your jewelry. As mentioned before, these contain sulfur and other chemicals which will lead to jewelry tarnishing.
- Store your jewelry in a cool and dry place when not in use. This can be in the provided pouches/boxes or anywhere you can protect your jewelry (like jewelry boxes).
Now that you know what to do and what to avoid, there are also ways in which you can clean your already tarnished and dull jewelry. Here are some effective jewelry cleaning methods
1. Remove tarnish with a jewelry polishing cloth
These polishing cloths can be used to polish tarnished precious metals. They are often available at most jewelers and jewelry supply shops. Simply give your jewelry a good rub with the cloth to remove any residue and they should be as good as new once again
.
2. Chemical cleaners
If your silver jewelry is a tougher to clean with just a polish cloth, you can also buy polish liquids and pastes to get rid of the tarnish. This can be done by submerging your pieces in the liquid or by rubbing the paste on them.
However, an important thing to keep in mind is that if your silver jewelry contains gems or pearls, the chemical cleaners may damage them. So, this option may not work with every type of jewelry.
3. Avoid harsh cleaning
We’ve all gone through the rabbit hole of searching up home remedies as an easy and cost-effective fix. However, these actually do more harm than good. Never polish your jewelry using home remedies, like baking soda or toothpaste. These can actually damage your precious metals, especially gold vermeil.
Overall, it’s important to clean your silver and gold jewelry gently and properly as your pieces are quite delicate.
4. Take your jewelry to your jewelry suppliers
Most of the places you buy your jewelry from offer services to clean them for you.
5. Store your jewelry properly
Now that your jewelry is all clean, it’s important to store them properly to keep their shine lasting longer.
Store them in cool and dry places like the pouches, boxes provided. Humidity will lead to your jewelry tarnishing quickly, so take extra caution if you live in a humid place. You may also want to protect your precious metals and precious stones further by storing each of your pieces individually so your pieces won’t rub against each other, causing damage.
Remember with the proper jewelry maintenance, your precious metals will be with you for longer.