Sterling silver jewellery will inevitably discolour due to a natural process known as tarnishing, but you can slow down the process and restore your silver to its original, pristine state.
You can learn all about tarnishing here.
Silver Care
Follow these recommendations to protect and keep your jewellery safe and clean…
- Put your jewellery on after applying perfume, deodorant, cosmetics, hairspray, aftershave or cologne, not before.
- Avoid wearing silver when swimming and showering, as both chlorine and seawater will react with it.
- Be aware that excessive sweating can accelerate the tarnishing process. Be aware also that some medications and foods can affect the skin’s PH levels and cause accelerated tarnishing.
- Avoid exposure to household or industrial cleaning chemicals when possible.
- The bathroom is not a suitable place to store your jewellery.
- When removing your silver jewellery, ensure it is dry and wipe with a silver polishing cloth.
- Store your jewellery wrapped in a cloth or a sealed cellophane plastic bag and keep in a dry place.
- Don’t wrap your stored jewellery in tissue paper or in contact with rubber, unless you can confirm these are acid free.
- Use silica gel sachets in your jewellery storage area to remove excess moisture.
- Keep jewellery out of direct sunlight.
For more details on cleaning tarnished silver, click here
Gemstone Care
- Avoid exposing stones to pool and seawater, as the salts and chemicals can corrode and dull their surface.
- Avoid exposing stones to household and industrial chemicals.
- Some stones are textured or porous and can collect grime. Use a soft brush with dishwashing liquid in warm water to clean them. But do NOT use dishwashing liquid with pearls – use plain warm water instead.
- Make sure stones and crystals are dry before storing them away.