Caring for 92.5 Sterling Silver Jewellery

Overview

Sterling Silver jewelry or 925 jewelry is made of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. It is not pure silver jewelry as pure silver jewelry consists of 99.9% silver. Sterling silver is widely used in the production of silver jewelry as it is an extremely hard metal and is also economical compared to fine silver.

Be it designer silver jewellery or ordinary silver jewellery, time takes its toll on every metal. Silver, like any other metal, reacts with its environment, especially the chemicals present in the air and consequently, even the most intricately carved, handmade silver jewellery gets tarnished. However, this is not an indication of the faulty nature of the metal used in the jewelry rather it is an indication of the fact that the piece of jewelry is made of good quality silver.

The 925 jewelry needs to be taken care of from time to time in order to ensure that its beauty lasts long. Let’s take a look at some ways to care for our beloved sterling silver jewelry.

Caring for 925 Jewellery

·         The first step of cleaning silver is to be gentle. Silver can be easily scratched.

·         It is essential to bear in mind that silver is a delicate metal. It can be easily scratched and therefore great caution needs to be observed while dealing with the process of cleaning silver jewelry.

·         Avoid using toothpaste to clean this white metal. The use of toothpaste and toothbrush in cleaning this jewelry does more harm to the metal than good.

·         Another substance that shouldn’t be used in cleaning 925 jewelry is baking soda. Baking soda contains strong chemicals that cause tiny pits to form in the metal in which moisture or chemicals may get trapped and lead to its deterioration.

·         There are a number of silver cleaning and tarnish removing products available in the market, but silver jewelry can be cleaned simply with the use of warm water and a little amount of dishwashing liquid. Gently apply some dishwashing liquid on the surface of the jewelry and rinse with warm water to clean the jewelry. Repeat this process often and the dark black tarnish will never develop on the surface.

·         Immerse the silver jewelry in sudsy water if your silver jewelry does not contain soft gemstones or pearls. Immerse the jewelry in warm water and gently rub with your fingers or a cotton swab.  Use a baby soft toothbrush for more abrasive cleaning but this should be done only when absolutely necessary. Brush lightly and rinse with some warm water; and make sure to dry with a cotton cloth to prevent any water spots.

·         However, if the jewelry does contain pearls or soft gemstone like turquoise, avoid putting the jewelry in water. It can cause serious damage to the polished surface of the soft gemstone. You may, instead, moisten a cotton swab with some diluted dishwashing liquid and gently wipe the surface of the silver jewelry. Gently wipe the surface with a cloth or cotton swab to clean the soap.

·         It is essential that before storing the jewelry you let the newly cleaned silver jewelry lie flat and dry naturally. Leave it overnight if possible. Moisture is a tarnishing agent and speeds up the tarnishing process. Therefore, it is of prime importance to make sure that the silver jewelry is completely dried before it is store.

·         It is always advisable to separate the cloths used for cleaning gold and silver jewelry in order to avoid the formation of a pattern. It is essential to remember to rub the cloth in straight lies and not in circular motion.