TAKING CARE OF YOUR STERLING SILVER JEWELLERY

It is normal for sterling silver to tarnish, after a while, due to oxidation. Wearing your jewellery often can help minimize this oxidation. But, it is also important to know when not to wear your sterling silver jewellery.

 When Not To Wear:

• Do not wear jewellery when taking shower. Pure water by itself may not damage the sterling silver, but the chemicals and contaminants in the water can tarnish it.
• Do not wear jewellery in swimming pools or hot tubs. The water in the swimming pools and hot tubs contains Chlorine, which can damage the jewellery.
• Do not wear jewellery when applying body lotions, perfume, hair spray, and other hair products. The chemicals in these products can damage the jewellery. Allow these products to dry before putting your sterling silver jewellery on.
• Avoid wearing jewellery when performing household chores that involve using chemicals and cleaning supplies. These chemicals can damage your sterling silver jewellery.
• Avoid wearing jewellery when performing workouts and other tasks that induce perspiration. The salt in sweat can be corrosive to sterling silver.

Storage:

When not wearing your sterling silver jewellery, store it in a dry place, in air-tight or zip lock bags. These bags prevent your jewellery from getting exposed to air. Instead of storing all the jewellery pieces in a single bag, try to place them in separate bags to avoid them from rubbing and scratching against one another.

Cleaning:

A solution containing warm water and mild dishwashing soap is usually sufficient to clean your everyday sterling silver jewellery.

Prepare a soap solution by adding a few drops of mild dishwashing soap into a cup of water. Soak your jewelry in the solution for 5-10 minutes. Then, very gently, rub it with a soft cloth or a very soft bristle toothbrush. Finally, rinse it with warm water and pat dry immediately with a soft cotton cloth.

Do not use paper towels or tissues to dry your jewelry as they contain fibers that might scratch.

Do not submerge your jewellery into solution, if they contain stones or crystals glued to them, as water may weaken the glue. In such cases, soak the cloth into the solution and wipe the jewellery with it. Ensure that your sterling silver jewellery is completely dry before you store it.

Clean the rhodium-plated sterling silver jewellery with a 100% cotton cloth or a special sterling silver cleaning cloth or a very soft bristle brush. Do not use any chemicals and do not use polishing cloths meant for cleaning uncoated silver jewellery.

TAKING CARE OF YOUR PEARL JEWELLERY

When To Wear:

The radiance of pearls can diminish by perfume, hairspray, suntan lotion, cosmetics, and other similar chemicals. Hence, put on your pearl jewellery only after applying these products.

Storage:

Pearls are fragile and can easily scratch if stored with other jewellery. Hence, it is always advisable to store pearl jewellery in a separate pouch or jewelry box.

Cleaning:

After each wearing, clean the pearls with a silk cloth, a soft cloth, or a microfiber jewellery cloth. Let the pearl jewellery completely dry before storing it back in its case. Avoid using brushes, detergents, and ultrasound cleaners to clean the pearls.

Occasionally, add a drop of oil to a cotton ball or soft cotton cloth and polish the pearls to maintain their luster.