Owning a spectacular sterling silver jewellery such as silver earring or silver stud is a dream for everyone. But the fact that it might corrode as soon as you stop wearing it will spoil the dream for you. Sterling silver jewellery is prone to corrosion and tarnishing due to the oxidation of copper which is a part of the jewellery. Sterling silver jewellery is composed of 92.5% of sterling silver while the rest 7-5% s composed of metal mainly copper. This copper is prone to rusting. It is important to learn the tricks and the trades to ensure that your sterling silver jewellery lasts longer. By doing this, you will get the joy of wearing your earrings sterling silver stud earrings more without worrying about them losing their touch a bit.
Ways to Protect Your Sterling Silver Jewellery
Use an airtight bag
The first thing to keep in mind is that it is the oxidation of copper which causes the corrosion of your sterling silver jewellery. So the first and foremost step to protect it is to cut out the air. For this purpose make sure that you use a bag or a box which is completely airtight. No air must be able to enter in it. Use of zip lock bags or air tight bags is recommended to make sure that there is abrasion to the jewelry while it is kept in the bags and moved around. It is also suggested that the use of bags which are made up of polyethylene or Mylar. You must avoid the use of bags made of polyvinyl plastic since they are damaging for the jewelry due to their chemical composition.
Polish and clean
Use a silver clothing to polish and clean your jewellery after you wear it. It is the cosmetics and the environmental toxins which could harm your jewelry so it is better to use a silver clothing to keep all the dust and the chemicals cleansed right away. Make sure that you keep the jewelry in your storage bag after thoroughly cleaning it with a silver clothing. This will get rid of nay entrapped moisture or chemical which could react with the metals to start tarnishing.
Use of chalk
Although it has been a very old recipe for protection of the silver sterling jewellery, but it still is quite effective. Chalk has the ability to absorb the moisture and any toxins present in the air. SO storing a piece of chalk in the storage container of the jewellery will make sure that humidity and chemicals are extracted out of your fine silver sterling earrings and studs and they are protected from the corrosion for a long time.
Silica gel packets
Being the most widely used desiccants, the silica gel packets could be placed inside the jewellery cabinets and boxes to make sure that no humidity touches the jewellery. If you are still wondering what these packets may look like, try looking inside a bottle of medicines. You guessed it right, these are same packets used by pharmaceuticals to keep the medicines dry.
Keep it away from sulfur
Sterling silver jewellery is prone to damage if it is brought near any coal or oil. So make sure that you are not wearing your dear and experience sterling silver jewellery while you are cooking. Plus, make sure that it does not get in contact with sulfur since sulfur might trigger the corrosion faster. So no eggs and seafood around while you are wearing your stunning sterling silver earrings or studs.
Don’t keep the jewelry lying around
If you want to keep your recipes sterling silver jewellery pieces intact and up to their grace and beauty for a long time, avoid keeping them lying around once you have worn them. Leaving them on the night stand after a party might seem a smaller thing to do but it has long lasting effects on the jewellery since oxidation and light might combine to make the corrosion happen faster.
Use a cleaning liquid to shine up the silver
As pretty as the sterling silver looks, as easy as it is to lose its shine. Using a DIY Shining or cleaning liquid will help to keep up the shine and ensure that it is protected the best way.
Water and baking soda method
Use 2 parts of water and 1 part of baking soda to make a paste. Use a worn out toothbrush to delicately rub the paste onto the jewellery to clean it.
Dish liquid and water
Use water and dish liquid as a simple yet effective mean of cleaning and polishing the sterling silver jewellery.
Conclusion
Most of the methods above are simple and pretty easy to follow. Make sure that you use them to keep your sterling silver earrings and studs shinier and pretty for a long time.