The basics -
-Sterling Silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper.
-Sterling silver will naturally tarnish without care.
-Use a soft jewelry cloth to polish - no cleansers!
-Remove before bathing, swimming or cleaning.
-Avoid chemicals, lotions, perfumes.
-Remove sterling silver jewelry before handling anything with sulfur (like eggs) as they will speed up tarnishing.
-If your item is hand stamped and the coloring has worn off, use a black sharpie to fill in the letters. Use rubbing alcohol to remove excess marker.
Cleaning Sterling Silver
The most effective way to clean sterling silver is with warm water and mild bar soap. (Liquid soap is likely to leave a film on your jewelry, resulting in a dull finish.)
This cleaning method is safe for hard, non-porous gemstones, like topaz, amethyst, garnet, citrine, peridot, and cubic zirconia. Apply the warm, soapy water with a soft cloth or very soft toothbrush. Rinse clean and gently pat dry with a soft cloth.
Examples of porous gemstones include pearl, opal, emerald, turquoise, amber, coral, and onyx. Porous gemstones should never be soaked in water. If porous gemstones do become wet, gently pat dry and allow them to dry completely before storing. Take care not to expose porous gemstones to makeup, lotion, perfume, or hairspray.
Polishing Sterling Silver
The safest and most effective way to polish sterling silver jewelry is by using a soft polishing cloth. Silver polishing cloths are specially treated to remove tarnish and leave a high polished, lustrous shine.
Begin by gently rubbing the cloth on the surface of the silver, avoiding any gemstones. The dirt and tarnish on the jewelry will quickly transfer to the cloth. The more you use your polishing cloth, the darker it will become. Not to worry! Your polishing cloth will still be effective, even after many uses.
Avoid laundering your polishing cloth, as washing it will remove the cleaning agent from the fabric. A polishing cloth should last several years with normal use.
Storing Sterling Silver
Tarnish occurs on the surface of silver as a result of exposure to air and moisture. To slow the progression of tarnish, we recommend storing sterling silver jewelry in individual resealable plastic baggies. You may also choose to wrap individual pieces in soft tissue paper for added protection.
Organizing and storing jewelry items separately in bags prevents chains from tangling and gemstones from scratching each other and metal.