Your Guide to Sterling Silver Jewellery

What is sterling silver?

Sterling silver pros and cons

Sterling silver pros:

• Hypoallergenic (nickel, lead and cadmium free)
• Affordable and quality 
• Can last a lifetime and be passed down through generations

 

Sterling silver cons:

• Is not safe to wear in chlorinated or salt water (salt is corrosive and chlorine is a harsh chemical)
• Prone to oxidising (thankfully this is easy to fix, read on to learn how)
• Not as strong as gold or platinum metals

 

 

 

Sterling silver dos and don'ts

Sterling silver do’s

• Polish regularly using a jewellery, microfibre or silver polishing cloth. Use up and down motions (this helps to avoid scratches)
• Store in a jewellery bag to protect it from oxidising. Best stored in separate bags to prevent pieces from scratching each other)
• Clean regularly using easy at-home methods - we’ve listed some of these methods below 
• Wear your sterling silver pieces regularly to help slow down oxidising

 

Sterling silver don'ts

• Wear in chlorinated pools or spas or in the ocean
• Put on before applying perfume and moisturiser as the chemicals and oils can react with the metal - put your jewels once you’ve finished your beauty routine
• Wear when handling strong chemicals like bleach

 

 

How to clean tarnished or oxidised sterling silver jewellery

Method one 

Materials:

• Medium bowl
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda 
• Tin foil
• Double water and baking soda if cleaning multiple pieces

 

Method:

• Line your bowl with a sheet of foil 
• Pop in the baking soda
• Carefully pour in hot water, there may be some fizzing
• Place your jewellery in the foil lined bowl so that pieces are touching the foil
• Leave in the water mixture for up to 2 minutes
• Use silicon tongs to remove jewellery from bowl
• Rinse in water 
• Use a cotton cloth to dry
• Polish with a polishing cloth if desired

   

 

Method two

Materials

• Small bowl or container
• Mild dish liquid
• 1/2 - 1 cup of warm water

Method:

• Squeeze a few generous drops of dish liquid in your bowl
• Pour in warm water
• Mix to combine water and dish liquid
• Leave to soak for 1 to 2 hours
• Rinse in water
• Use a cotton cloth to dry
• Polish with a polishing cloth

   

 

Method Three

Materials:

• 1/4 cup of white vinegar
• 1 tabelspoon of baking soda
• Medium bowl
• Double vinegar and baking soda if needed

 

Method:

• Pop baking soda in your bowl
• Pour in white viniger
• Place jewellery in bowl
• Let soak for 1 to 2 hours
• Rinse in water
• Use a cotton cloth to dry
• Polish with a polishing cloth if desired

Watch our video on how to do this method here

   

 

Note: Please check the stones in your jewellery are safe to put in water before using any of these methods.

 

We hope you found this useful, please feel free to comment or contact us if you have any questions or need any help.

Chloe 
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