Authored by Sama Fazal in Jewelry
Published on 02-02-2009

Sterling silver, a popular alloy of silver metal, has been used as a jewelry ingredient since long. Needless to say, sterling silver jewelry products are capable of providing the same kind of charm to the wearer, as offered by gold and platinum. However, if you don’t know how to treat and look after your sterling silver jewelry it might lose the shine and elegance that it is known for after some time.

Maintaining The Worth of Sterling Silver

There are many recommended ways of cleaning sterling silver jewelry items:

• Cleaning with a chemically treated cloth is indeed the simplest process of reviving the fascinating looks of these jewelry pieces. These specially treated cloth pieces do not cause scratches on the surface and provide excellent results.
• There are many cleaning agents available in the market to clean sterling silver, though you need to be careful about choosing phosphate-free agents. Also, choose a cleaning product, which will not be abrasive and cause damage while cleaning.
• Sterling silver solutions are also available that can refurbish the shiny surface of the jewelry . However, the jewelry must not be dipped for too long in these solutions and must be immediately cleaned with plain water. Otherwise, the white dried patches of the solution can make your jewelry look dull and dirty.
• The brush selected for cleaning sterling silver jewelry must be like a baby tooth brush, with soft bristles that are gentle. Use proper down motion while cleaning and avoid cleaning in a circular motion.

Storing In The Right Manner

The storage of sterling silver jewelry is equally significant, so that you can delay the need of repairing it commercially. Here are few good tips to help you out.

• Avoid storing sterling silver products in areas exposed to moisture and air. Also, keep them away from high temperature and harmful radiations.
• Use air-tight jewelry boxes, especially designed for storing these products.
• Don’t store sterling silver products with jewelry crafted from other metals, as rubbing of surfaces may lead to scratches.
• Before storing these jewelry items, make sure they are dry, if not then dry them using soft cloth.

Caring With Regular Cleaning

If you are very fond of your possessions and love to wear them regularly, make sure that you employ extra efforts to take care of them. Take a look at the following recommendations:

• It is not advised to expose sterling silver jewelry to body oils, cosmetic creams and perfumes extensively, as these products can contain ingredients that can make shiny surfaces appear dull.
• Don’t wear these jewelry items while indulging in household cleaning, dishwashing, or any other similar activity.
• Don’t forget to remove and store these products while taking a bath or swimming in the pool.
• It is not advised to wear these jewelry items while sleeping.

Proper care and storage can prevent your jewelry from tarnishing and thus help in saving on repair and restoration and in maintaining their original luster and charm.