Pure Silver, a precious and malleable metal,
is usually alloyed with copper to enhance
its durability and prevent damage to the
metal. Typically, sterling silver consists
of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent
copper.
Over time oxidation reactions will occur,
especially with sulfur and oxygen, causing
silver to become tarnished. Care should be
taken to prevent this tarnishing. To avoid
this tarnishing, try to avoid the following:
-
Applying
hair colors or permanent solutions while
wearing your jewelry.
-
Showering
with your jewelry on.
-
Body
lotions, hair spray, suntan lotions, or
oils of any kind on your jewelry.
-
Physical
Activities (Sweat).
-
Never
removing your jewelry.
There are
certain things you can do to remove the
tarnish buildup that silver naturally
acquires.
-
Gently wash
your sterling silver jewelry with diluted
dishwashing liquid.
-
Rinse and
polish with soft cloth or felt.(Tissue is
not recommended).
-
Dry the
silver jewelry very well before storage to
prevent residual water stains.
-
Silver
polishing cloths offer the best cleaning.
IMPORTANT TIP: Do not use silver dip as this
will damage the rhodium finish and is known
to remove color and polish from certain
gemstones, including turquoise and pearls.
Although it may be acceptable to use silver
dip on pieces that are not set with
gemstones or finished with rhodium, the
chemicals are extremely harsh and should be
reserved for instances in which the item is
completely tarnished, such as antique
sterling silver items. We do not recommend
using silver dip on our jewelry.
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