How to Prevent Sterling Silver from Tarnishing

By Sayedero Enytan @fashionengineer

Sterling silver is by far the most popular kind of jewellery, as every woman has many items in her jewellery collection. If you are fed up with the tarnishing that comes with older sterling silver items, here are a few tips to ensure that your sterling silver jewellery always looks in tip-top shape.

    Use Ziploc Bags - This is an effective way to prevent sterling silver from becoming tarnished, which is due to exposure to oxygen, which causes oxidisation. When putting a jewellery item in a Ziploc bag, make sure to squeeze all the air out before sealing the bag and this will ensure that your sterling silver jewellery always looks good and is ready to wear. By taking good care of your valuable silver jewellery, you can expect to enjoy many years of wear, and Ziploc bags are a small investment that will pay big dividends.

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  • Store Sterling Silver Away from Direct Sunlight - Leaving a silver bracelet on the dresser is not a good idea if it will be exposed to direct sunlight. It is always best to keep any item of jewellery in a cool, dry place and make sure that each item is protected from touching other pieces, which can cause scratching. If you are looking to acquire some more silver jewellery, check out the amazing offers from Silver by Mail UK, a leading online retailer of sterling silver jewellery. You'll find an extensive collection of hand-made silver jewellery at affordable prices.
  • Avoid Wearing Sterling Silver Jewellery in Hot Tubs and Swimming Pools - This is important, as the chemicals in the water can have an adverse reaction with sterling silver, so make sure to remove all jewellery before swimming or relaxing in a hot tub or Jacuzzi.
  • Use Silica Packs - You often find these inside packaging, as they remove moisture from the air, and a few in your jewellery box is a great way to keep the moisture away, as any form of moisture can help the tarnishing process to get started. If you look through some old packaging, you are likely to find silica bags, either that, or you can buy them online.
  • Anti-Tarnish Cloths - These are used by jewellers to protect sterling silver pieces, as they remove the sulphur and oxygen in the air, which will prevent tarnishing. They can easily be sourced from an online supplier, and they come in different sizes and shapes, making them perfect for all forms of sterling silver jewellery.

In the event you have tarnished sterling silver jewellery, there are several ways to deal with this; one is to purchase some silver wash, which is specially formulated to clean sterling silver. Simply follow the instructions and you can't go wrong. Another way to remove tarnish is to polish the item with a silver cloth, and if this doesn't work, you can use a soft toothbrush and some mild washing-up liquid mixed with water.

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