Sterling Silver Jewelry Storage Advice - How to Care, Store, and Prevent Oxidation on Silver Jewelry gold

By Howard Walker


Keeping sterling silver jewelry clean is frequently thought to be difficult enough for pieces you frequently wear. Unfortunately, pieces that are not worn for extended periods of time can corrode and tarnish as well. Therefore, silver jewelry care is a crucial skill for avoiding corrosion and tarnish. By sticking to a few straightforward rules, you can save yourself hours of polishing and keep your sterling silver jewelry bright and stunning for years.

Knowing Why Sterling Silver Ornaments Oxidizes

The tarnish on sterling silver jewelry is results from oxidative reactions with sulfur, such as Hydrogen Sulfide, in the air and environment (the nickel or copper metals also subject to its individual oxidative reactions). The degradation of silver when in contact with sulfur results in the darkening referred to as tarnish. Thus, you must insure your jewelry is spotless and dry before storage. Moisture, dirt, oils or other residual compounds will accelerate tarnishing.

Containers for Silver Storage: A container that keeps out air is preferable, since lessening interaction with air will slow corrosion. everyday household items with this utility are zip lock bags, or any other air tight bag with non-rough surfaces, like those made of polyethylene or Mylar. Avoid polyvinyl plastic bags though, as they have chemical material that speed up tarnishing. If you're willing to spend extra, jewelry stores carry specialized bags and boxes that help prevent tarnishing. When storing, it's preferable to keep jewelry in separate bags, away from other hard things that may spoil your jewelry's surface.

Places to Keep Sterling Silver Objects: Avoid excessively moist places, regions with direct sunlight, and places where jewelry could come into direct contact with other items. Do not store jewelry directly on chemically coated surfaces, especially wooden counter tops, because they contain compounds that may speed up tarnishing of your sterling silver.

Other Tools that Help Stop Tarnish on Sterling Silver Ornaments

1) Chalk - An old solution for slowing down tarnish, just store chalk in your jewelry box or container and it will efficiently soak up chemical residues in the atmosphere.

2) Anti-Tarnish Strips - Sold in numerous outlets, these strips are typically made from non-poisonous materials that soak up tarnish causing reactants.

3) Anti-Tarnish cloths - Comparable the strips, these cloths are normally chemically processed or saturated with traces of silver; both take in sulfur and other corrosive chemicals in the air.

4) Silica Packs - Those little packs you discover in medicine bottles and shoe boxes besides other places. Especially useful in taking in moisture in the atmosphere, place them in your jewelry containers instead of the trash; you'll be hindering tarnish and environmentally-conscious as well.

As a jewelry enthusiast, however, it is necessary to know the quality and grade jewelry you are buying. Top brands like Chrome Hearts has competitors who produce Highest grade alternatives & close replicas by real jewelers to mass-manufacturing conveyor-belt producers mass manufactured low grade imitations made from low-grade materials such as aluminium and copper. Caveat Emptor!

As part of an important education in selecting best grade replicas or freelancer alternatives crafted from top grade sterling silver, visit Fleur de lis jewelry