Cleaning and caring for silver jewelry

How do I clean silver jewelry that has turned black?

Do you wear silver jewelry and want to restore its shine? Here are a few tips on how to clean and care for them.

Why clean 925 Sterling Silver?

After a while, silver tends to turn black or yellow. Don't worry, this doesn't mean it's of poor quality! It simply means that it's oxidizing.
In fact,925 Sterling Silver is an alloy of 92.5% Silver and other metals, particularly copper. This is to make the Silver harder and less easily deformed. But copper has one drawback: it oxidizes on contact with iodized air, chlorinated water, humidity, cosmetics and chemicals, household products and perspiration.
So it's important to look after your silver jewelry to ensure it retains its original lustre.

Before going to the extreme, you need to adopt a few habits to delay oxidation. Keeping your jewelry in its case, for example, will protect it from dust and prevent it from being scratched by rubbing against other jewelry. Avoid the bathroom, too, as it's far too damp for your silver jewelry.
Remove your silver chains, rings or bracelets when playing sports, cleaning, washing up, showering or swimming in a pool or the sea.
If you store 925 Sterling Silver jewelry, put it in a closed box away from air and light (a case, jewelry box, pouch, etc.). Then simply clean them regularly with a soft, clean cloth to maintain their shine.

How do I clean a silver chain?

To clean a blackened silver chain (or any other piece of silver jewelry), there are various products specially designed for cleaning silver.

• Bath: this cleans small, hard-to-reach details in just ten seconds. Caution: do not use on chains containing precious or semi-precious stones, painted or plated pieces, or any other type of metal. Ideal for silver chains.
• Cleaning cloth: this micro-abrasive cloth impregnated with a non-toxic chemical treatment cleans and polishes all metals.
• Wipes: ideal for cleaning, restoring shine and lustre to all your silver chains and silver primers. Be careful: the wipes may look dry, but the product is still present. Do not get them wet.
• Polishing clay: polishes and protects silver in a single step. Do not use on silver plating.

How do I clean silver jewelry naturally?

Perhaps you don't want to invest in products, but there are a few grandmotherly recipes for cleaning and polishing silver jewelry:

Toothpaste

Apply toothpaste with a soft toothbrush and scrub. Rinse in clear water and dry with a chamois cloth.
Be careful not to use a hard-bristled toothbrush, which could damage your jewelry.

Baking soda

This technique is ideal if you want to clean your jewelry without scrubbing.
Place a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a bowl, shiny side up. Place your jewelry on top, pour in a tablespoon of baking soda and add lukewarm water. Leave to act and rinse. Then wipe off with a soft cloth.

Coarse salt

Simply immerse your oxidized silver jewelry in a bowl of salt water for a few seconds. Then place it on aluminum foil and dry. The aluminum will act on the oxidation.
This method is not recommended if your silver chain, for example, is adorned with gemstones or pearls.

White vinegar

Another way to shine silver without scrubbing.
Soak your jewelry in a glass filled with white vinegar for 2 hours. Then rinse with clean water and wipe dry.

The lemon

As with white vinegar, soak jewelry in lemon juice, then rinse thoroughly and dry.

Ash

If you have a chimney, use cold ash on a cloth and gently rub your silver object.

Now you know all the techniques for cleaning and polishing silver.

At Perles & Co, we test silver products for you. The boss tells you all about it in this video, we test silver primers for you!