HINTS

WHAT CAUSES STERLING SILVER TO TARNISH?

What causes tarnish: Humidity and chemicals in the air cause silver to tarnish. The most common tarnish causing elements are food (onions, eggs, mayonaisse, salad dressing, salty foods) salt, wool, felt, rubber bands, latex gloves, carpet padding, sulfur in the air, oily residue from our hands and fingers.

1. PLACE A WHITE PIECE OF BLACKBOARD CHALK IN WITH YOUR STERLING JEWELRY. THE CHALK WILL ABSORB SULFUR COMPOUNDS IN THE AIR.

2. KEEP YOUR JEWELRY IN AN AIR TIGHT ACID FREE CONTAINER.

3. DON'T LAY SILVER JEWELRY ON PAPER OR WOOD FOR EXTENDED TIME... ALMOST ALL PAPER HAS ACID IN IT... ALL WOOD WILL TARNISH SILVER.

4) CLEAN YOUR SILVER JEWELRY WITH WARM WATER AND A BIT OF MILD DETERGENT AFTER WEARING IT. THE OILS AND ACIDS IN YOUR BODY WILL CAUSE IT TO TARNISH FASTER.

5) STORE YOUR JEWELRY IN BAGS OR JEWELRY BOXES TREATED WITH ANTI-TARNISH COMPOUNDS.

METHOD 1

You can buy a cleaner at Walmart for about $3. The name is Connoisseur's silver cleaner. It comes in a grey plastic container. There are also other silver cleaners.
DON'T DIP POROUS STONES SUCH AS AMBER OR TURQUOISE IN CLEANERS

Sterling silver dips are fast and easy. However, be careful!

First, many dips will take the color and polish off many gemstones.

Second, when using a dip, if you leave the piece in too long, or don't rinse it well enough with fresh water, white residues will be left on the piece when it dries. The residue is difficult to rub or pick off.

When using a silver dip, dip the piece quickly in and out of the dip. Then immediately rinse it in clean water. When the piece dries, buff it with a soft cotton cloth or a Sunshine Cloth. The buffing brings out more of the shine, helps take off any residue left on the piece, and with a Sunshine Cloth, leaves a little bit of a protective anti-tarnish coating on the piece to keep it shiny longer.

LEAVING THE JEWLERY IN THE SOLUTION TOO LONG CAN PERMENANTLY DULL THE BRIGHT SILVER.

METHOD 2

YOU'LL NEED A GLASS BOWL, ALUMINUM FOIL AND TIDE DETERGENT

Line a glass bowl with aluminum foil or use a metal pie plate... add a mixture of 1 tablespoons of TIDE, CALGON or ARM & HAMMER detergent per quart of water to the bowl. Make sure the detergent is pretty much desolved in the water. Place the jewelry in the lined bowl until clean. Make sure the pieces are covered.

A JEWELER'S CLOTH CAN COME IN HANDY TO POLISH THE SMOOTH AREA OF THE STERLING SILVER.

IF YOU HAVE OTHER TIPS TO CLEAN STERLING SILVER OR PREVENT IT FROM TARNISHING PLEASE LET US KNOW