There are many practical, common sense ways to protect your sterling silver jewelry from tarnish and keep your sea glass jewelry looking as beautiful as the day you purchased it.
- Wear your sterling silver and sea glass jewelry often. The natural oils that your body produces actually retard the oxidation process.
- Clean your jewelry occasionally with a brief soak in mild liquid detergent and water. Gently and thoroughly dry your jewelry with a clean soft cotton cloth. Do not store your sea glass jewelry when it is still damp.
- Store Sea Glass Jewelry by Jane sea glass jewelry in a closed jewelry box or in a bureau drawer away from sunlight to prevent or minimize tarnish.
- Cool, dry places are best for jewelry storage.
- Extreme heat and humidity will increase the rate of oxidation and that produces tarnish.
- Avoid contact with harsh household cleaners, especially anything with chlorine bleach, an ingredient in many household cleansers.
- Avoid wearing your sterling silver and sea glass jewelry in the shower.
- Never wear sterling silver jewelry in a swimming pool. The chlorine will turn it black almost immediately!
- Apply perfumes, body lotions, suntan lotions, hair products, etc. before donning your jewelry.
- Remove your jewelry (except for rings) before you retire for the evening. This avoids stress on the silver connections that could eventually lead to breakage.
Cleaning
Okay, so you forgot to take some of the easy precautions above and your sterling silver is looking a little a bit tarnished. Here are four methods, all of which we’ve used with success. You just have to decide which method you’re most comfortable with.
A word of advice: the sooner you take care of tarnish the better. Don’t let it build up!
- Purchase liquid silver cleaner/dip available at jewelry shops, specialty shops and grocery stores. Dip your jewelry quickly and then rinse in warm soapy water. Dry your jewelry thoroughly with a soft cotton cloth. Please follow the package directions.
- Consider investing in an Ionic Jewelry Cleaning system. A small model, the 100SB Ionic Cleaner, is perfect for home use and available at SpeedBrite.com.
- Use a jewelry polishing cloth. Simply wipe the cloth over your jewelry and the tarnish is left on the cloth. This is best for jewelry that doesn’t have a lot of nooks and crannies.
- A more natural solution is to create your own natural chemical reaction to remove tarnish. The ingredients are boiling water, baking soda and aluminum foil.
How to Clean Your Sea Glass Jewelry With 3 Ingredients
- Put a piece of aluminum foil in a glass baking dish. You can also use an aluminum pie plate.
- Place a piece of tarnished sterling silver jewelry on the foil.
- Cover the jewelry with boiling water (be very careful!).
- Sprinkle baking soda on the silver jewelry. You can see the tarnish disappear.
- Remove your jewelry (being cautious with the hot water) and rinse in warm soapy water.
- Dry thoroughly with a soft cotton cloth.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Your beautiful sterling silver should last a lifetime as long as you care for it lovingly.
For more information read Sea Glass Jewelry Do’s and Dont’s.
About Sterling Silver
We use .925 sterling silver in Sea Glass Jewelry by Jane jewelry designs unless otherwise noted. Sterling Silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% alloy (usually copper) for added strength and flexibility. It is this 7.5% alloy that is responsible for sterling silver tarnish, a completely natural oxidation process caused by exposure to pollutants in the atmosphere.
