Tips to keep your jewellery clean and shiny!
You actually might be wondering why your Sterling Silver jewellery is turning black...
The truth is that pure Sterling Silver does not tarnish. However, it is way too soft to be used in jewellery. Therefore, artisans and jewellers have to mix a small amount of other metals to strengthen the Silver. This creates a composition of 92.5% Silver and 7.5% of other metal. It is the other metal, often Copper, that causes Silver to tarnish as it reacts with the moisture and sulfur compounds in the air.
So, how can you prevent this from happening?
Luckily there are some simple things that we can do to keep our jewellery shinier for longer!
You can store your jewellery in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. You can also polish it with a polishing cloth from time to time or clean it in warm soapy water using a soft brittle toothbrush to help remove any dust or dirt without scratching the jewellery.
But, what can we do if the jewellery ends up tarnishing?
Fear not! There are DIY options that you can try.
Today, a member of our team has used the method below and will show you step by step how to make your Silver shine in no time!
You will need:
- 2 cups of boiling water
- 1/2 cup of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Container
- 1 piece of kitchen foil
Add the baking soda and salt to the water
First, we are going to add the baking soda to the boiling water and stir it a bit. Be aware that this will create a bit of foam due to the chemical reaction of mixing both elements.
Then, we will add our 1 teaspoon of salt. You will also see some more light foam created but do not worry, it will only last for a second or two!
Mix the ingredients well
Now that the baking soda and salt have been poured into the boiling water, we will mix the ingredients well.
You can use a a spoon or any other long utensil you find at home.
Remember to clean it thoroughly after using it!
Line the kitchen foil on the container
Now what we are going to do is lining the kitchen foil on the container, making sure that the shining side faces up.
Then, we will place our tarnished jewellery on top of the kitchen foil - trying not to overlap the jewellery pieces if you are cleaning more than one.
Important:
Use a new piece of kitchen foil each time that you want to repeat this process.
Pour the mixture into the container and wait
Now we are ready to pour this mixture over the jewellery!
We will see some small bubbles forming which means that the process is working!
Now it is time to wait and let the magic happen.
Remove your jewellery when the water has cooled down and give it a good rinse. If you have more intricate shaped jewellery that still looks a bit tarnished, equip yourself with a soft bristled toothbrush and try to remove these last bits using some of the water that we have used in this process.
Tada! This is the end result!
Before, there was a build up of black tarnishing within the lines of the bigger ring and both rings were looking dull. Now they are both extremely shiny again thanks to some household items from the cupboard!
If you would rather not clean your jewellery at home though, remember that you can always take it to a professional jeweller or silversmith to have it brought back to life.
Let us know how it went when you try it and do not hesitate to contact us or come and pay us a visit to our Shoreditch boutique.
If on the meantime you would like to discover our jewellery collection, have a browse below!
Jewellery essentials for every wardrobe
