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There was a time when gold was the most popular metal used in jewellery and whereas this may still be the case, many other types of precious metals are proving to be almost as, if not more, popular. In fact, silver jewellery is worn by both men and women and is a wonderful alternative to the many gold items we have seen adorned over the years. However, just the fact that silver is a natural material means that it can react unfavourably with the environment it is in.

 

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Picture via Flickr

Silver has been known to become tarnished due to overexposure to the air, which is known to contain certain chemicals that don’t react too well with silver over a period of time. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have purchased an item of poor quality silver jewellery and in fact silver jewellery becoming tarnished over time is proof that it is of great quality. This post will introduce you to a number of ways in which you should care for your items of silver jewellery.

Cleaning

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Bulgari ring. Source

It’s actually a lot easier than you would think to get silver jewellery looking the same way it did when you first purchased it. However, the earlier you notice your jewellery begin to tarnish the better equipped you will be to deal with it. However, if you notice that your items of silver jewellery have started to turn from a yellowy brown colour to almost black then it’s time to visit a jeweller’s for a professional clean.

=One of the best ways to treat your silver jewellery is with sterling silver dips, although be wary that this can dramatically affect precious gemstones by removing their polish and colour. In fact, you should completely avoid using a dip if the jewellery contains any gemstones, although the stones worst affected are typically pearls, white opals, turquoise and any stones that are particularly soft. You should never add jewellery to a dip for too long and definitely never clean it off with cold water, as this is known to produce white streaks. If your silver jewellery hasn’t been tarnished you can clean it with detergent that is free of phosphate and a non-abrasive cloth. You will generally find that there are very specific cloths used to clean silver jewellery and these are often provided inside the jewellery displays boxes.

Preventative Measures

There are a number of preventative measures you can take to ensure that your silver jewellery always looks at its best. You should obviously clean your jewellery on a regular basis before it has even started to look worn and tarnished and there is nothing wrong with having a quick clean on a weekly basis. You should also avoid exposing silver to certain chemicals that are typically found around the home, including cosmetics, chlorinated water, water, hair products, sweat and too much exposure to direct sunlight can be a real killer for silver jewellery. In fact, it is recommended that you apply make-up, cosmetics and hair products before you actually put silver jewellery on. Therefore, you should really be getting dressed and “made up” for a night out first and then putting your jewellery on is the last thing you do before leaving for the evening.

Author bio: This post has been authored by Graham Jones. He is the marketing head at Grant Austin Display Packaging, a company dealing in a range of jewellery cases. He is a complete movie buff, and he enjoys catching up to the latest releases with his family during his leisure time.


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