September 27, 2022
To clean silver jewelry
To avoid tarnishing sterling silver, it is good to know the causes, so that you can avoid them, if not minimize them:
Pollution
The air is loaded with moisture and chemical compounds from nature and human activity.
All of this will chemically bond to the surface of the silver jewelry. If this surface has been polished, it will become dull and shaded. These chemical reactions will take place quite quickly if the jewel is not protected when it is not worn. When worn, friction with anything it comes into contact with will enhance its shine.
The manipulations.
The famous fingerprints leave a very thin film on the objects you touch. This film will chemically interact with the surface of the polished silver and promote its oxidation; hence tarnish.
Moisture from the skin (not just from the fingers) will affect the surface of the polished silver on contact; the typical example is the silver chain which loses its luster and becomes dark from being worn on the skin.
Lotions and perfumes will have the same effect on silver jewelry, and often in a more aggressive way.
And don't forget the chlorine in the swimming pool which will chemically act with the silver and make it dull, very dull and oxidized.
There's also what you eat: in some people, the moisture composition of the skin will change with a change in diet. We have seen the silver jewelry of some people oxidize much more significantly at the end of the summer, when the vegetables and fruits are fresher and often better...
These are the main causes of silver tarnish. Knowing this, how to correct the situation?
We start with cleaning: soap or detergent. Usually, if the product is tolerated by your skin, so is the money.
We soak the jewel in the detergent, slightly diluted, for the necessary time, which can be several hours. You can help by gently using a toothbrush; then rinse well with lukewarm water.
Good, now the jewel is clean.
If it is still dull or dark, it is oxidized, ie the surface has undergone a chemical reaction.
There are some cleaning products, which are actually deoxidizers that will cancel out the chemical reaction. They can be found at some jewelers or even in some hardware stores, in the metal cleaning departments. They are in the form of liquid in which the jewel is dipped, or in the form of rubbing cream or, in the form of soaked wipes. Cream should be avoided because it builds up in the details and is difficult to remove.
If you soak your jewel, do not leave it more than 5 seconds in the liquid, then rinse well, well and check. If it's still a bit dark, another 5 second soak. That should be enough. This is done, 5 seconds in 5 seconds because these liquids are powerful enough to continue the reaction with the surface of the silver and matt the shiny polish.
Pollution
The air is loaded with moisture and chemical compounds from nature and human activity.
All of this will chemically bond to the surface of the silver jewelry. If this surface has been polished, it will become dull and shaded. These chemical reactions will take place quite quickly if the jewel is not protected when it is not worn. When worn, friction with anything it comes into contact with will enhance its shine.
The manipulations.
The famous fingerprints leave a very thin film on the objects you touch. This film will chemically interact with the surface of the polished silver and promote its oxidation; hence tarnish.
Moisture from the skin (not just from the fingers) will affect the surface of the polished silver on contact; the typical example is the silver chain which loses its luster and becomes dark from being worn on the skin.
Lotions and perfumes will have the same effect on silver jewelry, and often in a more aggressive way.
And don't forget the chlorine in the swimming pool which will chemically act with the silver and make it dull, very dull and oxidized.
There's also what you eat: in some people, the moisture composition of the skin will change with a change in diet. We have seen the silver jewelry of some people oxidize much more significantly at the end of the summer, when the vegetables and fruits are fresher and often better...
These are the main causes of silver tarnish. Knowing this, how to correct the situation?
We start with cleaning: soap or detergent. Usually, if the product is tolerated by your skin, so is the money.
We soak the jewel in the detergent, slightly diluted, for the necessary time, which can be several hours. You can help by gently using a toothbrush; then rinse well with lukewarm water.
Good, now the jewel is clean.
If it is still dull or dark, it is oxidized, ie the surface has undergone a chemical reaction.
There are some cleaning products, which are actually deoxidizers that will cancel out the chemical reaction. They can be found at some jewelers or even in some hardware stores, in the metal cleaning departments. They are in the form of liquid in which the jewel is dipped, or in the form of rubbing cream or, in the form of soaked wipes. Cream should be avoided because it builds up in the details and is difficult to remove.
If you soak your jewel, do not leave it more than 5 seconds in the liquid, then rinse well, well and check. If it's still a bit dark, another 5 second soak. That should be enough. This is done, 5 seconds in 5 seconds because these liquids are powerful enough to continue the reaction with the surface of the silver and matt the shiny polish.