Jewellery Care
Now that you have a piece of jewellery that you love, here are some tips on how to keep it just as lovely as the day you received it.
As with all precious metals, sterling silver can start to look a little dull and become tarnished over time.
When tarnish does occur, it's because Sterling Silver uses copper to create a harder, more durable alloy than pure silver. The copper reacts with the sulphur-containing substances in the air forming a thin dark layer on top of the jewellery. 9ct gold and 18ct gold can also be affected if they are alloyed with copper.
If you want to extend the finish of your jewellery, it is advisable not to expose it to perfume, chlorine, body lotions or high humidity.
Whenever you don't wear your jewellery, it is best kept in its box or in sealed little plastic bags, ideally packed up individually so the pieces don’t tangle or scratch against each other. Or, you could just place the jewellery box in a zip-lock bag.
Jewellery also tarnishes whilst worn of course (occasionally it can be accelerated through a person's sweat or cosmetics), but it is fairly easy to remove the tarnished layer with silver dip. Submerge the jewellery in this solution (the tarnish will normally be gone within a few seconds) before making sure it’s thoroughly rinsed in water and dried.
Finally, you can give the jewellery a good rub with a silver polishing cloth (it works on gold too), which is perfect for restoring the shine.
Opals and pearls should not be cleaned with silver dip. Clean instead with warm soapy water and a tooth brush. This is also a good technique for removing dirt and debris from the back of stones where you can reach them.
Buying a cheap ultrasonic cleaner is a good way to clean more stubborn dirt from jewellery.
Haggerty, Goddard's or TownTalk all produce good silver dip and polishing cloths which you can order online for around £10.
