How to Care for Your Sterling Silver Jewelry This Summer
While summer offers all kinds of fun outdoor opportunities to enjoy, those same activities can ruin your jewelry. Sterling silver jewelry can last a lifetime if it is treated with proper care. The first thing to know about sterling silver is that it is a specific metal. You might think your silver-tone hoops are sterling silver, but if they are not, the way to care for them and their limitations are completely different. So the first step in any jewelry care is knowing what material you are working with. Identifying sterling silver is fairly straightforward; each piece of jewelry is stamped with a 925. This number represents the percentage of silver in the item. Sterling silver is an alloy made up of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Silver is a soft metal and needs the addition of copper to withstand the day-to-day wear and tear on your jewelry. Knowing what you are looking for is a great help, but sometimes spotting it can be difficult. Typically, the stamp is concealed in order to not take away from the design of the jewelry. Rings are typically stamped inside the band; on earrings, it’s on the edge of the ear wires; and on necklaces, it is found on the clasp or an additional hang tag. Take your time and go over the piece carefully.
Can’t find the stamp? There are a few reasons a sterling silver piece does not have a stamp. While every sterling silver item is supposed to be stamped, sometimes handmade pieces are not stamped by the artist. This is uncommon, but it does happen. If you're not sure about a piece, contact the artist and ask for care instructions. And while shopping for jewelry, ask about care instructions. If you are looking for the stamp on a ring that you’ve been wearing for a while, the stamp may have worn down, making it difficult to see. If the wear pattern does not reveal any change in color, most likely the ring is solid sterling silver. Jewelry that is not solid sterling silver will have a different color peeking through any thin spots. That brings us to another import topic, tarnished jewelry vs. jewelry that has “turned.”
Sterling silver jewelry does tarnish, but tarnish is not the end for a piece of sterling silver jewelry. Sterling silver jewelry can be polished and restored to its original color. Tarnish can be caused by a few different things. Sterling jewelry left sitting out will slowly turn black or a coppery orange color. This is merely the metal oxidizing and can be easily fixed. Sterling silver can also react to different chemicals. This is why sterling silver jewelry has such a hard time in the summer. Pools, sunscreen, makeup, perfume, and sweat are frequently the causes of a sudden change in sterling silver jewelry color. Don’t panic, and know that this is not a sign that your jewelry is not the quality piece you expect it to be; it just needs a little bit of attention.
If your sterling silver jewelry has tarnished, you have a few different methods you can use to restore it. The simplest method is to use a polishing cloth. Our favorite polishing cloth is the Sunshine polishing cloth. It has a sterling silver cleaning solution inside the cloth, and all you have to do is wipe down and gently rub your jewelry to remove the tarnish. Another method is to make a solution out of baking soda and warm water. The ratio is not super important; you just want it to be about as thick as tooth paste. Grab an old toothbrush and gently scrub your jewelry to remove the tarnish. This can be a bit messy, so put a towel down for easy cleanup.
There are sterling silver cleaning solutions that can be purchased, but these are much stronger, and you can damage your jewelry if you are not careful. Especially if your jewelry has any oxidized details. Oxidization is used to create contrast in a piece of jewelry to make small details stand out better. Because the process of adding oxidation is similar to that of a piece that has naturally tarnished, it can be easy to accidentally remove this process while polishing your jewelry. If your piece has oxidized details, start with a microfiber cloth and rub it gently over the piece. Similarly, you need to take into account any gemstone on your jewelry; some stones have soft, porous surfaces that can be easily damaged. When in doubt, use the most gentle approach, a soft, lint free cloth, and gently rub the piece.
Now you are ready to enjoy all that summer has to offer! If you need to upgrade some of your everyday jewelry to sterling silver that can be brought back to life after a long day in the summer sun, be sure to shop our sterling silver jewelry collection here.
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