Cleaning your Sterling Silver Jewelry
Over time oxidation reactions can occur in silver jewelry causing silver to become tarnished. Wearing and handling will slow the oxidation process and keep your silver polished, shiny and beautiful. It will eventually develop a beautiful silver patina.
Enjoy wearing your jewelry - don't keep it tucked away just for special occasions!
It can also be a bit intimidating to try to clean silver pieces because they are so delicate. However, you don't have to be a professional or use expensive tools to clean your silver yourself. See Step 1 to learn how to clean your silver jewelry.
Here is an easy way to clean your sterling silver jewelry.
Cleaning Silver Jewelry with Salt Bath
1. Pour two cups of hot water into a bowl. You just need enough to cover the jewelry you're cleaning. This method works as a gentle cleanser that removes tarnish without abrading the silver. If your silver is lightly tarnished, the salt bath should take the tarnish right off.
Enjoy wearing your jewelry - don't keep it tucked away just for special occasions!
It can also be a bit intimidating to try to clean silver pieces because they are so delicate. However, you don't have to be a professional or use expensive tools to clean your silver yourself. See Step 1 to learn how to clean your silver jewelry.
Here is an easy way to clean your sterling silver jewelry.
Cleaning Silver Jewelry with Salt Bath
1. Pour two cups of hot water into a bowl. You just need enough to cover the jewelry you're cleaning. This method works as a gentle cleanser that removes tarnish without abrading the silver. If your silver is lightly tarnished, the salt bath should take the tarnish right off.
- If you're cleaning a lot of jewelry at once, you can use more water. For just one piece of jewelry, use less water.
- If your jewelry has gemstones, make sure they won't be affected by being submerged in a saltwater solution. This solution is gentle on most stones, but if you're cleaning very fine jewelry with expensive gemstones, you're better off taking it to a professional just in case.
2. Add salt or baking soda and aluminum foil. Stir one tablespoon of salt it into the hot water with a spoon until it completely dissolves. Take a sheet of aluminum foil and tear off a few strips, then put them in the bowl. Tarnish happens when the surface of silver combines with sulfur and turns into silver sulfide, which is black. When silver sulfide reacts with aluminum in a salt solution, the chemical reaction between the substances turns the silver sulfide back to silver. The reaction happens faster when the solution is warm.
3. Submerge your jewelry in the solution and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Stir it around a bit and when you see that the silver's shine has been restored, remove the silver from the solution.
If you're working with deeply tarnished silver, you might need to repeat the process two or more times. Make sure the solution is completely heated, since the reaction is much slower if the solution is cool.
3. Submerge your jewelry in the solution and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Stir it around a bit and when you see that the silver's shine has been restored, remove the silver from the solution.
If you're working with deeply tarnished silver, you might need to repeat the process two or more times. Make sure the solution is completely heated, since the reaction is much slower if the solution is cool.
4. Rinse the jewelry under cool water to rinse off the salt, then gently dry it using a soft cloth or microfiber towel. The jewelry should be good as new.
Cleaning Silver Jewelry with Aluminium Foil and Baking Soda
Another easy way to clean your silver jewelry is by using hot water and aluminium foil. Sterling silver reacts with moisture to create a layer of tarnish or oxidation on its surface. Baking soda activated by boiling water in the presence of aluminum, will dislodge the tarnish by making it bind with the aluminum, leaving the sterling silver clean and shiny again.
Another easy way to clean your silver jewelry is by using hot water and aluminium foil. Sterling silver reacts with moisture to create a layer of tarnish or oxidation on its surface. Baking soda activated by boiling water in the presence of aluminum, will dislodge the tarnish by making it bind with the aluminum, leaving the sterling silver clean and shiny again.