Jewelry Care Guide

Wearing Your Silver Jewelry

To keep your silver jewelry clean and lessen its exposure to chemicals, put it on after applying make-up, spray perfume/cologne or hairspray. Remove your jewelry while washing, bathing, doing dishes, household chores or cleaning with any kind of chemicals. Silver is a relatively soft precious metal and can scratch, so do not scrub with abrasive cloths or cleansers. Remove your jewelry before doing strenuous activities such as exercise, sports, swimming (ocean or pool) to avoid denting or scratching.

Do not wear your sterling silver jewelry in chlorinated water. Depending on the chemicals in the pool or hot tub, silver can turn black and your jewelry will be ruined. Also avoid saltwater.

Storing Your Silver Jewelry

Storing silver jewelry out in the open air can cause the silver to tarnish and discolor. Humidity, as well as fresh air, may cause silver jewelry to oxidize, therefore, as long as the silver jewelry is not being worn, it should be stored in an air tight zip-lock bag or jewelry zip-lock baggie (provided) which will keep air out and slow down tarnishing. You can also use pouches made out of protective anti-tarnish material or 100% soft cotton cloth. When storing your silver jewelry, make sure not to store the items in polyvinyl plastic baggies, since these bags are composed of sulfuric chemicals which can cause silver jewelry to oxidize, and then to tarnish.

Since silver jewelry is a relatively malleable precious metal (softer then gold), store each item separately in its own baggie to avoid the jewelry from rubbing together, which may result in the items denting or scratching.

Avoid storing silver jewelry in boxes made out of wood. Various types of wood contain acids which further tarnish silver jewelry. You can use the jewelry box your item came in (provided) for storage. In addition, since silver is extremely susceptible to tarnish, avoid storing silver jewelry with gold, platinum, palladium, copper or titanium jewelry, due to the fact that different metals and their differing compounds may damage the silver jewelry.

Cleaning Your Silver Jewelry

It is best to clean silver jewelry with 100% cotton fabric. Avoid rubbing the item too briskly, since silver jewelry can scratch quite easily. Coarse or rough materials such as polyester or simple paper products should not be used to clean silver jewelry since these fabrics can cause scratch marks and will damage the jewelry.

Clean your silver jewelry using a soft bristled brush (like a baby's brush, or an old toothbrush). The soft bristles will not scratch the silver jewelry's malleable surface.

When your silver jewelry requires light cleaning, consider using warm water, or a very mild household detergent, and rinse out the jewelry thoroughly. Let the piece completely air dry before storing it in a zip-lock bag, soft cloth pouch or before you wear it.

When silver jewelry requires a deep, thorough cleaning, it should be taken to a licensed jeweler to be professionally cleaned. If you cannot afford having a jeweler clean your silver jewelry, consider using silver cleaning paste or spray to polish your silver jewelry. Avoid using an excessive amount of product on your jewelry.

Don’t forget, jewelry is also an investment, not just a fashion statement. As long as you take care of your silver jewelry, you can enjoy wearing it for many years and pass it down from one generation to another!