cleaning and caring for sterling silver
@ivorysterling (71)
United States
December 13, 2006 1:10am CST
I absolutely love sterling silver jewelry! It is an inexpensive metal, is beautiful when polished and you can get all kinds of looks set in sterling - anywhere from casual to formal designs. The only thing I don't like about it is that it tarnishes easily. So here are some ideas to keep your sterling silver jewelry looking shiny and new.
1. Keep your jewelry in a box with an anti-tarnish paper. 3M makes them and they are inexpensive.
2. Light tarnish can be removed with a polishing cloth. Get one made specifically for polishing sterling silver.
3. Heavy tarnish may require a cleaning solution - creams are best for jewelry. Remember to use gloves, rinse well and dry your jewelry - never let it air dry. Make sure your cleansing solution is safe for the gems in your jewelry.
4. There is an inexpensive way to clean your tarnished jewelry, but I don't recommend it for expensive pieces like Tiffany silver. Line a bowl with a piece of aluminum foil. Place your jewelry on the foil, cover with baking soda. Pour boiling water over your jewelry and the reaction between the baking soda, hot water and aluminum foil will clean the tarnish from your jewelry. Works well most of the time.
For more expensive pieces of sterling, use the care directions provided to you by the jeweler.
So who else likes sterling silver jewelry and where do you buy it from?
4 people like this
14 responses
@michaelvanx (568)
• Malaysia
13 Dec 06
all my silver turned black over the time ;(
1 person likes this
@prasad1961 (5597)
• India
20 Dec 06
You're mistaken! Silver is different from Sterling silver. It is also called as pound sterling silver.
Fine silver (pure) is generally too soft for producing large functional objects, and in Sterling the silver is usually alloyed with copper to give strength whilst preserving the ductility of the silver and a high precious metal content. Purity of the silver decreases, the problem of corrosion or tarnishing also increases.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
13 Dec 06
I usally buy silver from the mall. I have been wearing more and more white gold though. The best way I have found to clean sterling silver is plain toothpaste. Rub it on with your fingers and wash it off with water. Gets even the worst tarnish off and doesn't scratch the silver.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
14 Dec 06
I am surprised you didn't know about the tooth paste. I have been doing that for at least 20 years (my dad taught me the trick when I was 8). I don't find white gold much more expensive than other jewlery. I don't own a ton of jewlery though. When I buy jewlery or have had it bought for me it is always something expensive. To me jewlery is a splurge, not something I would buy or be given more than once or twice a year.
@ivorysterling (71)
• United States
13 Dec 06
My Dad was just telling me the other day that toothpaste is good for tarnished silver - I was having my Mom clean my jewelry with her new silver polish. :) I love white gold, too - my wedding ring is white gold and I have a nice white gold omega I like to wear. But since I like to have A LOT of jewelry, I've found sterling to be my best friend since it's versatile and inexpensive. :)
@prasad1961 (5597)
• India
20 Dec 06
Much of the currently produced silver jewelry and other decorative silver objects made in Mexico at the present time are made according to the Sterling, i.e. 92.5% silver, standard, and are marked "Sterling". Peculiarly sterling silver having a very special characteristic in sound resonance, I used to buy based on the resonance all the time. In India we have very large demand for silver. We use it as papers on sweets to eat. The pure silver is thinned to micro millimeter sizes and made as papers used for decorating on the sweets. But it is not Sterling.
@Signal20 (2281)
• United States
13 Dec 06
I do, I really like white gold and platinum best, but usually too expensive for me. So that's why I like the silver look. I sell silver jewelry on ebay and yahoo. One popular thing I'm noticing now, is rhodium plating. I was reading and my mom did this with a lot of her jewelry as well, they're putting rhodium over gold and even platinum, because it's stronger and lasts a lot longer then those metals. And it doesn't tarnish. A lot of the jewelry I sell is already rhodium plated, I really like it, looks like platinum.
@ivorysterling (71)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Rhodium is actually in the platinum family! Have you seen the Epiphany jewelry they have at QVC, which is platinum plated over sterling silver? You get the look of platinum but for way less than solid platinum would cost. I would love to see your jewelry - message me with your ebay store!
1 person likes this
@Signal20 (2281)
• United States
14 Dec 06
I haven't seen that. I've been hearing a lot about QVC, guess I should check them out. I have a link on my profile, goes to my geocities site, the links for my stores are there. I don't think there's anything on the Live Deal one, haven't updated them lately. I did just get more rings & a few earrings in today, gotta take pictures and post them, probably tomorrow. Most of the rings are rhodium plated, except for the ones with the real gem stones, those are sterling silver and I think one's gold.
And barbara, I think you got me mixed up with another store I can't find you anywhere on my listings, lol, but thanks anyway :)
@bacardiblast_K (813)
• India
20 Dec 06
i also love sterling silver alot....n thnx alot for ur instructions....
@vipul20044 (5793)
• India
13 Dec 06
Wow thanks a lot
I got some sterling silver pendants with me which i really adored like anything
But then yes, they got tarnished after a few months and i ended up buying new ones
Am glad now i can easily use them over and over again
thanks again
@nascar8fan (742)
• United States
14 Dec 06
I love silver. Before I got married that was all I ever wore. I still have some of my silver jewelry. I'll have to keep this information in mind. i was never really good at getting my jewelry cleaned... Thanks..
@harikumar21 (64)
• India
13 Dec 06
to the metal. Sterling silver consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Over time ... especially well when cleaning and protecting your silver jewelry. Try them and you will not be disappointed
@midnightuser (252)
• United States
13 Dec 06
Huh, thank you for your advice. I love sterling silver jewelry as well. I refuse to wear gold it has to be of a silver color. I wear so many rings and such. Thank you for your ideas. Also sometimes I'll just go to a jewelry store and often they will clean it for free. The only thing that sucks is one of my rings has emeralds in it so it can't be cleaned by machine. How can I get that one cleaned? ANyone know?
@sj_chaudhry (1537)
• Canada
13 Dec 06
yes i like sterling silver jewellery and i usually buy it from Wal mart or Zellers.
