We all like to flaunt our jewelry on an everyday basis, but once it starts tarnishing and fading day by day, you feel like wrenching at your hair in misery. Come on, “breathe in and out,” unclench your balled fists and brainstorm for some solutions. Usually, people suppose that once jewelry gets faded, it is of no use and throw it away but what about those pieces that mean the world to you? That is why we are here to provide you with the best jewelry caring tips. We will be targeting sterling silver, since it is being popularly used, but our tips can be applied on other jewelry materials as well.
First of all, we would like to clear that all Azura jewelry pieces are plated with 14k gold or platinum, “which have less likelihood of getting tarnished,” and are delivered in their respective boxes with velvet pouches and a cleaning cloth. If you simply clean your jewelry with the cleaning cloth we provide and place it in its velvet pouch and back in the box, your jewelry will never have the chances of getting corroded. But if you show laziness and never stay committed to the protection of your jewelry on time, we’re afraid you’ll be losing the shape of your jewelry eventually!
Start Organizing
Before beginning the cleaning process, start gathering your jewelry and separate it into categories like earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Also, completely single out the ones that are tarnished. Once your jewelry is in one place, you can store it in their boxes, or zipper plastic bags, “which are extremely handy for storing jewelry without any danger.” One more thing to bear in mind, never store your jewelry together unless it’s a pair. Because by preserving your jewelry in clumps, you tend to increase the risk of having your jewelry tangled and scratching each other.
Avoid Exposure
Sterling silver is a beautiful substance which loses its detailing once it’s enveloped in oxidization. To avoid ruining your jewelry, keep it away from perspiration as much as possible, chlorinated water, rubber, household chemicals, and products that contain sulfur, such as “eggs, mayonnaise, wool, latex, etc.” Also, before you are off to do sunbathing, housework and swimming, remove your jewelry, since, contact with dust, water, and direct sunlight can cause sterling silver to rust. Also, keep your silver away from cosmetics, creams, lotions, hair products, and perfumes because they contain all the evils that can harm your jewelry.
Continue Caring
Sterling silver is a soft metal and it is prone to scratching, so always store it apart from other jewelry items and never use an abrasive fabric to clean it. One tip which you must pay heed to is to press all the air out from your airtight plastic zipper bags. Then add unperfumed talc in the bags and shake (this will suck out all the humidity that might be sitting in the bags). After that, store the jewelry in the bags and lock the zip tightly. When you take out the jewelry again, simply rub away the excess powder with a micro-fiber or a non-abrasive cleaning cloth.
Steps to Jewelry Maintenance – Serious Cleaning
1. Jewelry doesn’t take much time to lose its beauty, shine, and spark. To retain the originality of your jewelry, rub toothpaste with an old toothbrush to retrieve the shine and, once you start noticing the jewelry getting newer, just rinse away the residue with warm water and dry your jewelry with a soft cloth.
2. Do not use heavy detergents or cleansers to wash your jewelry. These can really damage them and strip off their color. However, you can certainly opt for mild cleansers or a baby shampoo to clean your jewelry, “especially that is bedecked with stones like pearls, topaz, opals, etc.” for the time being.
3. Though, if your jewelry is in need of some heavy-duty caring, going to a professional jewelry cleaner will be a wise option.
4. There are many cleansers available in the market for cleaning your silver jewelry but they usually contain many harsh ingredients that can worsen your jewelry’s condition and can possibly remove the protective layer or coating of anti-tarnish that is already polished on the jewelry.
5. Mild soap and warm water is the easiest, quickest and most effective method to clean your jewelry. But if this doesn’t work, try white vinegar or baking soda with warm water.
6. Also, another brilliant method of cleaning your silver is by using baking soda, salt, aluminum foil and boiling water. Line your kitchen sink or a bowl with aluminum – dull side facing down. Place your silver on the aluminum foil and add boiling water atop the jewelry until it’s fully covered. Afterward, put in 1 tbsp. of baking soda and 1 tbsp. of salt, mix the solution for these two ingredients to dissolve – in order to prevent granules scraping the jewelry. In around 5 to 10 minutes, you’ll see the tarnish miraculously leaving the jewelry and transferring to the foil. Drain the contents and rinse the jewelry with water, dry it and voila! Your jewelry will be like new!
Final Words
Once you stick to the basics of cleaning jewelry routinely, you’ll never face the problem of oxidized jewelry. Silver is very precious and you must treasure it till the end. Never discard your silver unless there is confirmation, of it never getting reclaimed.