We all love putting on silver jewelry, don’t we? These pieces of jewelry are very charming and attractive thanks to the lustrous and shiny finish they possess. You can go for a delicate filigree piece of jewelry or a chunky clannish piece and all else in between as long as it suits your tastes and preferences. Sadly though, it will only be a matter of time before you notice the once lustrous and shiny silver jewelry is turning black or having a very ugly tarnish which needless to mention, takes away all the beauty of these wonderful pieces of jewelry. And this is when you ask yourself ‘which is the best and safest way to clean my silver jewelry?’
First things first, silver blackens or tarnishes when exposed to polluted air, water, soap, perspiration, and chlorine. The presence of sulfides and humidity are culprits too for silver jewelry blackening. Well you can do very little concerning the kind of air your piece of jewelry is exposed to when you wear it, but there are some things that you can do to take care of it when storing it.
First of all, always wipe your silver jewelry using a soft piece of clean cloth before storing it. Always store your jewelry in a dry dark place. It is recommended that you wrap your jewelry in a tissue paper and seal it securely in a zip lock pouch.
Even with all this care, you cannot entirely protect the jewelry from blackening or tarnishing. Therefore, it will necessitate regular cleaning of the jewelry to maintain its luster and charm. There are several ways of cleaning your silver jewelry. The simplest you can do is give your jewelry a thorough buffing using a clean and soft piece of cloth. This simple act alone is enough to reinstate your jewelry’s old shine. What is more, it is the surest method that doesn’t remove the finish from your jewelry.
The patina or finish if you like, improves over time and is what gives your jewelry the soft lustrous look. Other ways of cleaning silver jewelry can remove the patina exposing it to all sorts of chemicals. The second home remedy of cleaning silver jewelry is using ordinary nonabrasive toothpaste. You simply use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently brush through your jewelry, which should then be followed by washing it thoroughly using water. After which you should wipe dry and use a sunshine piece of cloth to dry and buff it completely.
Baking powder and hot water is another affordable home remedy for cleaning silver jewelry. First and foremost, you should line a small basin with an aluminum foil and then spread all your silver pieces on it. Dub your jewelry copiously using baking soda, and then pour very hot water over them. Turn the pieces using a rod until all parts are soaked in water, and then remove them after two minutes. Wash using clean water, aerate and dry and then buff them to dry completely.
If all home remedies fail, your last resort to very stubborn blackening or tarnish should be in cleaning liquids sold in the market. As mentioned, these should be your last resort when all else has failed. The reason for this is because they take away the finish from your silver jewelry leaving them with a sort-of artificial shiny look. Commercial jewelry cleaning solutions can substantially harm soft gemstones; hence you should thoroughly wash clean and dry them completely before carefully buffing them. Needless to mention, only when you take good care of your silver jewelry will they take care of your pride as you wear them charmingly.
