Restoring the Luster of Silver Jewelry
by Anika Pathak jewelry designer & author
Overview Silver is a delicate metal. One needs to be careful while handling silver jewellery . In order to ensure this jewellery lasts long, proper care needs to be taken of the silver jewellery and proper caution needs to be exercised to prevent this jewellery from deteriorating over time and for the purpose of enabling it to withstand the agents of weathering. There is no right or wrong way of maintaining or cleaning silver jewellery, however, some ways are more preferred than others when it comes to maintaining this jewellery. It is essential to familiarize oneself with the various areas of the silver jewellery and to identify any potential weakness that may exist before undertaking the task of cleaning the silver jewellery in order to avoid any potential damage that may arise during the process of cleaning. It is always recommended that this jewelry be cleaned regularly and gently as opposed to periodic rough and abrasive cleaning.
Tarnishing & The Gentle Method There can be many reasons for the lost luster or shine of the silver jewellery . One of these reasons can be the accumulation of tarnish over the surface of the silver jewellery that can, in due course of time, lead to the dulling of the surface of the jewellery and it can appear not as shiny as it used to initially. Tarnishing of silver jewelry is a natural reaction that occurs over time. This reaction takes place when the moisture and oxygen present in the air react with the silver of the piece of jewellery. This leads to the development of a dark, black layer of tarnish over the surface of the silver jewellery because of the oxidization of the metal. This process, after a certain time, can totally change the appearance of the silver jewellery. However, it is a reversible process and the tarnish that may have developed over time on the surface of the silver
jewellery can be removed by following certain methods and practices.
The Soaking Wet Method There is one more method that is fairly simple and can be used for the purpose of cleaning the silver jewelry. A piece of silver jewelry can also be cleaned with the use of some warm water and a bit of detergent. This helps in removing any kind of grease or dirt that may have accumulated on the surface of the silver jewellery. However, one must be careful while following this procedure. If a piece of jewellery has emeralds or opals as stones in it, it will not be advisable to soak the piece of jewellery in this water. It is so because
the stones mentioned previously are porous and soaking this jewellery in water can lead to the fracturing of these stones because of being soaked in water.
Cautious Silver Dipping The final method of cleaning using silver dip is the most risky. Silver dip contains abrasive chemicals that can cause irreparable damage to some jewellery, use it with caution. Most jewellery that is made only from silver is suitable for silver dipping, the exceptions are when it is rhodium plated or if it is of a style such as a snake chain. Rhodium when dipped in silver dip will turn black and look awful. Do not do it! Rhodium is a plating used on some silver jewellery to give it a high shine finish. Many brands, such as Hot Diamonds, use rhodium plating to finish their jewellery. There are no hallmarking requirements for rhodium plating so either contact the silver jewellery manufacturers or your jeweler to check if you are unsure.
Conclusion Be they silver pendants, silver necklace or wholesale silver bracelets , every kind of silver jewellery requires protection from tarnishing. It is likely to lose its shine and luster over time is not properly maintained, therefore, it is of foremost importance to pay proper attention to the care and maintenance of silver jewellery.