How to Care for and Clean Your Sterling Silver Jewelry

Prevention Keep your Sterling Silver Jewelry in tip top shape by keeping them in zip top bags. My favorite zip top bag size for pendants is 2” x 3”, larger necklaces 4” x 6”, Earrings 2” x 2”. Make sure they are clear (see through) and 2ml thickness. You can find these in your local craft shop, the internet or on eBay.When putting a chain in a plastic bag leave the clasp hanging out the top before you seal it closed. This will keep the chain from getting tangled. If it is Sterling Silver, put this little bag inside a larger one to keep the clasp from tarnishing.You’ll be surprised how much cleaner your Sterling Silver jewelry will be if you keep it in these little bags. Sterling Silver tarnishes when exposed to the air.Group matching items together. I still keep each item in an individual bag, but then group the sets and put the smaller bags in one larger bag. This is a great tip for traveling too!

Sunshine Cloth is a chemically treated cloth you can polish your sterling jewelry with by rubbing or buffing your item with. There are other chemically treated cloths on the market; but this one is Lady Lynn’s favorite.

Chemical Silver Cleaning Dips Avoid using chemical Silver Cleaning dips if possible, they can take the color or polish off some gemstones, leave a dull film on the silver and left in too long, eat away at the metal. If you have a stubborn spot on the silver, I suggest dipping a Q-tip in the cleaning solution and applying it sparingly. Make sure to use warm water and rinse the piece off thoroughly when you are done. Dry with a soft unbleached cotton cloth.

Chemical Silver Cleaning Paste Rub on gently avoiding the gemstone. Take a soft baby toothbrush or mushroom brush, warm water and mild unscented liquid dish soap and brush gently in one direction (not in a circular motion) to remove the polish. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft unbleached cotton cloth.

[how to clean sterling silver jewelry]