Handcrafted Jewelry News from a Maine Jewelry Store

Sitting in my jewelry box is a bunch of old silver jewelry from many years ago. Some pieces are practically black. Those pastes and cloths work wonders on most of it. I have some earrings though, that will remain forever a dull gray.

The longer a piece goes between polishes, the more difficult it is to restore the silver to its original beauty. So keep your silver jewelry clean by polishing often and storing properly. Control the exposure to air pollutants and humidity and you’re controlling the amount and rate of tarnish.

An air-tight pouch or zip-lock bag works best. Be careful which plastic bags you choose: some are made of polyvinyl which contain sulfur that can cause tarnish or staining. Look for zip locks made of Mylar or polyethylene.  Use a small bag for each piece to prevent items from scratching each other.

Be careful not to store jewelry in a drawer or box where it can be damaged by other articles. Old pennies, rubber bands, sharp metal objects all can damage silver by either scratching its soft surface or by speeding up the oxidation process - causing tarnish. Also be careful of leaving silver on wood or in a wooden container. Many woods contains acids that can damage the finish of silver. Other metals and materials like rubber can also quicken the tarnishing process.

We sell anti-tarnish paper in our little Silver Lover’s Kit. Place a piece of this in each little air-tight bag and it will help reduce tarnish.

All in all, what is the best way to keep your silver clean? Wear it!

So how do you remove ugly black tarnish from jewelry and make it look beautiful again? Very carefully!

If a polishing cloth won’t work, you’ll have to use something stronger. A mild liquid detergent, diluted with warm water may do the trick. Be sure to rinse the piece completely in clean water then dry and polish until it shines.

If that doesn’t do it, you will need a commercial silver paste or spray polish. There are many on the market; the best thing to do is to read the labels closely.

Does your piece have stones or gems of some kind? If so, be very careful when choosing the type of paste or spray polish you’re going to use. Not all cleaners are recommended for use around soft, porous gemstones or pearls.  Gems can be permanently damaged in some cases. So read those labels.

Be careful not to use too much paste at a time, particularly around gems. Use a soft, non-abrasive cloth to rub in a lengthwise motion. A circular motion may cause scratches. For hard to reach areas, a child’s toothbrush or mushroom brush comes in handy. Then, go back to your polishing cloth to remove any excess cleaner and rub until it shines.

If all else fails, a “dip” such as Tarnex may be used to remove tough spots. However, be very careful to use this sparingly, rinse the piece thoroughly in clean water and dry completely.

The general rule of thumb for cleaning silver is simple. The faster the cleaning method, the harsher it is on your jewelry. Polishing with a cloth a bit more often will prevent you from having to use tougher methods that may, in the end, damage your jewelry.

Next up, how to store your silver to help prevent tarnish in the first place.

Years ago I wore lots of silver earrings and rings. If you looked at them now though, you sure couldn’t tell they were silver. Since the styles have returned, I wondered if it was possible to bring back the shine too.

Well, there is. But you must be careful with silver. It’s a relatively soft metal that scratches easily. The real problem with silver however, is tarnish. Exposure to air, humidity and light causes silver to begin turning a goldish color. Wait awhile and that gold will eventually turn black. If you’re having trouble telling your silver earrings from the gold ones, it’s time to clean!

The best way to keep silver clean is with a soft cloth. 100% cotton flannel works well as long as there are no nubs in the fabric. Special cleaning cloths are available too. (Check out Sunshine Cloths in our Accessories section.) The important thing to remember is it’s easy to scratch silver so stay away from using rough fabrics or brushes (never use a toothbrush!). Rub the piece gently in an up and down motion, never in circles.

Ok. That works for the earring that is just a bit off color. But what about the pendant that has those big black spots of tarnish?  I’ll cover that next time.

So if you’re allergic to nickel, what’s safe and not safe to wear? We get lots of questions in the store about silver. Will it cause a problem? I decided I needed to know more about silver to better answer that question.

Silver is considered a precious metal, along with gold, platinum and titanium. In its most pure, natural state, silver is referred to as fine silver. Most times this silver is much too soft (it’s almost liquid) to be of much use to the jeweler. To create something beautiful and long lasting, a metal alloy of some type must be added.

The term sterling silver refers to a mixture of fine silver and other metal alloys. You will notice on most of your sterling silver jewelry the mark 925 or sterling which means the piece contains at least 92.5% pure silver. Most often the other 7.5% is copper, which makes the piece much more durable. So, if you are allergic to nickel, you should have no problem wearing sterling silver jewelry.

Simple, right? Well, not quite. Problems arise when you’re not sure if what you’re buying is truly sterling silver. Unlike many other countries, the US does not require silver to be marked as to its quality. However, if a quality mark is used, it must be accompanied by a “hallmark”, which is a registered trademark or name of the manufacturer.

Many artisans find it cost prohibitive to register a trademark in order to mark their work. A quality mark may interfere with the design of the piece. Or, the item’s size may make it impossible to see a mark at all. For example, jewelry components like ear wires and clasps are not always marked.

So the answer is, where there isn’t a clear quality mark on a piece of jewelry, you must trust the word of the artist or retailer.

Thanks to Russ Nobbs, owner of Rings & Things Jewelry Supply for much of the information in this post. www.rings-things.com

We get lots of questions in the store about hypo allergenic jewelry. Many women have had allergic reactions to the earrings, necklaces or bracelets they wear and aren’t sure what’s safe and what isn’t.

Pure silver and gold are very soft metals. The metalsmith must make them stronger in order to form pieces that will hold their shape. So, other metals must be added, like zinc, copper, brass or nickel. Of these, nickel is the culprit for most jewelry allergies. This is why those sterling silver or 14k gold earrings could be causing you a problem.

As a silver substitute, look for surgical steel (although I’m told that even surgical steel may contain as little as .05% nickel, which, depending upon the severity of your allergy, may or may not bother you).

Niobium is also safe, giving you lots of color choices.

And the higher karat value in gold, the better off you’ll be.