Nobody wants to have to wear tarnished jewelry to an evening out to a party. Especially not a necklace which would get the most attention on a woman, and should be clean of any blemishes that can be seen even from a feet or two away. Your Sterling Silver jewelry needs constant care and there is no getting away from this fact. Further, you do not want to have to do it every week, because let’s face it - no one loves their jewelry that much! Here follow a few things you are better served by for taking care of your silver necklace.
Caring for the Jewelry
It does not take much to tarnish sterling silver - just air can do it. So keep your sterling sealed after you are done using it. Packing it in air-tight container is the right thing to do. Apart from air, packing it will protect it from moisture too, an even deadlier agent of ageing for your silver. Water not only affects the surface, but it will also be laced with chemicals, acidity, and other harmful agents that are part of living in a industrial society. If your jewelry gets wet, do NOT allow it to dry on its own, because the chemicals and agents will harm the surface of the sterling. Use a towel to wipe off the water from its surface, which will also remove the harmful agents.
Cleaning the Jewelry
Always clean your jewelry with a soft cotton or flannel cloth. Silver can scratch very easily, just because it is one of the softest metals in use. Never use anything other than these - paper, fabrics, synthetics, or plastic brushes are to be avoided completely.
To clean your silver, just wash it in warm water mixed with a mild dishwashing or a hand washing liquid or soap. No more than that, and this should be enough. Rub this homemade soap mix all over the surface of the necklace, as much as you can reach. Do it often, and you will never have to worry about blemishes coming on it, nor about having to wear a large collar dress.
Pearls and Stones
Do not immerse it in water, if your necklace includes pearls and other gemstones. Instead use a moistened cloth, the soft cotton mentioned above, wet it in the soap mix made above, and run it over the jewelry. The difference is that jewelry with gems is not to be immersed in water. After cleaning it like this, dry it with a cloth too.
After having cleaned it, you should let the jewelry dry completely, otherwise moisture will prove damaging to if it is stored with moisture in it. Let it keep overnight if required. After letting it dry, polish it with a jewelry polishing cloth. Never polish in a line, so that you do not get any pattern on the surface.
Store it in a dry and possibly air-tight place to avoid dust etc..
Dont's
Here is what you should NOT use on your jewelry: toothpaste, baking soda (despite what you may read online), cleaning agents like Lysol which are just too powerful for silver, which is a very powerful agent anyway and should be used with caution.
Keep it safe, keep it clean.
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