Over time, silver jewelry, whether it's necklaces, earrings, bracelets or rings, can wear out and tarnish. There are different ways to clean it, depending on how tarnished your necklace is and whether it includes precious stones. Read on to know how to clean your silver necklace in particular, and your silver jewelry in general!
1. What causes silver necklaces to tarnish
Any silver jewelry exposed to air will tarnish. It is a reaction of silver with moisture and sulfur in the air that causes a thin dark layer to form on the surface of the jewelry. The chemicals in bleach, deodorant, perfume, sweat, and the sun are some of the factors that can cause a silver necklace to tarnish faster.
2. How to clean sterling silver necklace
You should polish the sterling silver necklace or pure silver necklace gently with a soft cloth, such as a microfiber cloth instead of a paper towel, which can scratch your dainty silver necklace and pendant. Using the cloth, run along the necklace gently to scrub away the tarnish. This method will take some time.
Using strong abrasive polishes is actually more effective, but if you use it too often, the look of your silver jewelry can be dulled. If the tarnish doesn't go away when you rub the necklace, use a polishing cloth for 925 silver. You can easily buy these in person or online, for example Connoisseurs Silver Polishing Cloth Jewelry Cleaner or Hagerty Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloth on Amazon. Only clean silver with silver polish when absolutely necessary.
Once you've polished main surfaces, use a cotton swab to remove the tarnish in areas you couldn't reach. This is quite important for silver rope chains and silver ball necklaces. Be careful with gemstones because many of them are sensitive to chemicals and abrasives. You can clean the stone with a solution of water and weak dish soap.
3. How to prevent tarnishing
While you can use the above methods to clean your silver necklace, you should try to avoid tarnish by properly storing your jewelry. Use a separate jewelry box and soft cloth bag for each piece of jewelry to keep the necklaces tangle-free, dust-free, out of the sun, and dry. This will help slow the tarnishing process and reduce the amount of cleaning work you need to do.
How often should I clean my silver necklaces?
If you want to keep your silver necklaces in good condition, polish it once a year. But if your silver jewelry is more prone to tarnishing due to its surroundings, you can safely do this 2 to 6 times a year.
Should I clean my silver necklaces with toothpaste or baking soda?
You can clean the necklaces with toothpaste or baking soda if you don’t have the proper silver cleaner. However, it is best to clean silver necklaces with special polishing cloth or solution, as in some cases toothpaste or baking soda can cause further damage to jewelry.
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final thoughts
Hope the article has provided you with useful information to help you take care of your beloved silver necklace. If you have any trouble cleaning your jewelry, let us know in the comment section below!
