How to Clean Silver Jewelry: 3 Easy Home Methods | Kulta-Aika
To maintain the beauty of your jewelry, it should be cleaned regularly. By taking care of regular cleaning, you significantly extend their lifespan and avoid skin irritation caused by ingrained dirt.
Cleaning silver jewelry at home is easy, and you can find effective cleaning agents and cloths for stubborn dirt in our online store's selection. You can also bring very tarnished and dirty jewelry to a goldsmith for cleaning and polishing.
Why does silver tarnish?
The most common silver used in jewelry is sterling silver (925), which contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, most commonly copper. This alloy makes the jewelry durable. However, copper reacts with sulfur in the air (oxidizes), which leads to the tarnishing of silver.
Perfumes, dirt, skin contact, and moisture accelerate this process. Silver jewelry stays brightest when stored separately from other jewelry in an airtight container.
Tarnishing of silver can be prevented by rhodium plating, i.e., surface treating the jewelry with rhodium. Rhodium plating gives the jewelry a gleaming white surface and prevents silver from tarnishing.
Cleaning and Polishing Silver at Home – 3 Ways
Since tarnishing is inherent to silver, cleaning and polishing are part of owning silver jewelry. The cleaning method depends on the type of dirt and the structure of the jewelry. Here are three easy ways:
1. Cleaning silver jewelry with mild soapy water (Dirt and grease)
Silver jewelry can be cleaned with regular, diluted dish soap and a soft toothbrush. Dish soap removes grease and basic dirt from the jewelry, but not actual tarnishing (oxidation). After washing, silver jewelry should be rinsed under plenty of water and dried thoroughly with a soft cloth. It is advisable to clean silver rings and earrings weekly.
2. Cleaning silver jewelry with a silver polishing cloth (Removing tarnish)
Tarnish on silver jewelry is best removed with a silver polishing cloth designed for polishing. The cloth contains polishing agent and removes tarnish in an instant. After cleaning with the cloth, it is good to wash the jewelry in mild soapy water so that the substances from the cloth do not stain clothes or irritate the skin. Do not use the cloth on oxidized (intentionally darkened) jewelry, as it can wear away the darkening.
3. Cleaning silver jewelry with silver cleaning liquid (Difficult areas)
Cleaning matte or three-dimensional silver jewelry (e.g., chains) with a cloth is difficult. The best option for these is a silver cleaning liquid, into which the jewelry is dipped only briefly (usually 5-10 seconds). After dipping, the jewelry must be rinsed very thoroughly with plenty of water and dried. Never immerse oxidized jewelry, pearl-decorated jewelry, or soft gemstones in the liquid, as it can damage them.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about Cleaning Silver Jewelry
Silver tarnishes because it reacts with sulfur in the air and on the skin (oxidation). This is a natural property of silver. Perfumes, moisture, and the acidic pH of the skin can accelerate tarnishing. Tarnishing is not a sign of poor quality, but a chemical reaction.
A silver chain is easiest to clean with silver cleaning liquid. Dip the chain into the liquid for a few seconds according to the instructions, lift it out, and rinse very thoroughly with water. Finally, dry it with a soft cloth. This also effectively cleans the spaces between the chain links.
Rhodium-plated silver jewelry is coated with a thin layer of rhodium (a platinum metal). This coating gives the silver a brighter, white gold-like shine and prevents it from tarnishing. The rhodium plating wears off over time, but it can be renewed by a goldsmith.
We do not recommend these home remedies. Toothpaste is abrasive and can permanently scratch the surface of the jewelry. The foil and salt solution can remove tarnish, but it is a strong chemical reaction that can damage gemstones and also remove intentional darkenings (oxidations) on the jewelry.
In our selection, you will find various cleaning liquids and cloths that make cleaning silver jewelry easy and effortless. You can also bring your silver jewelry to any Kulta-Aika store for goldsmith maintenance.
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