Jewelry Care
Fine & sterling silver naturally oxidize after it's been worn and stored. Natural body chemistry, environment, and certain chemicals may oxidize or change the color of the metals. The best way to prevent tarnishing is by caring for your jewelry properly and following these jewelry care tips.
With time, any sterling silver jewelry piece that is exposed to air will tarnish. Sterling silver is a mixture of metals with at least 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals.
And it is the other metals, usually copper, that oxidise in the air resulting in the build up of a tarnished layer on sterling silver jewelry.
Silver tarnishes faster in areas with high humidity and air pollution. Additionally contact with materials like cosmetics, hairspray, perfume, deodorant, body lotion, bleach, etc., can speed up the tarnishing process.The silver in your ring may also become oxidized by reacting with acids in your skin, the moisture in perspiration, or by reacting with some other lotion or chemical on your skin
Here are some good, standard jewelry care and cleaning tips for your jewelry:
- DO NOT ever use silver cleaner. This will remove the black from the letters.
- To polish your silver jewelry, use a silver polishing cloth only.
- Remove your jewelry when performing tasks that may cause physical damage. i.e. cleaning, gardening, swimming, working out etc.
- Avoid exposure to chemicals such as chlorine, bleach, ammonia etc.
- Put all jewelry on after you have applied all cosmetics, perfumes, lotions and hairspray. These products can contain chemicals that can damage your jewelry.
- Remove all jewelry when bathing
Here are some standard jewelry care and cleaning tips for your gold filled jewelry:
- If handled properly, gold filled jewelry should only require buffing.
- Buff with a polishing cloth, or flannel
- Store in a dry place.
- Remove your jewelry when performing tasks that may cause physical damage. i.e. cleaning, gardening, swimming, working out etc.
- Avoid exposure to chemicals such as chlorine, bleach, ammonia etc.
- Put all jewelry on after you have applied all cosmetics, perfumes, lotions and hairspray. These products can contain chemicals that can damage your jewelry.
- Remove all jewelry when bathing