Silver metal on its own does not tarnish, however, silver is extremely soft and needs to be mixed with other metals in order to hold its shape. With sterling silver, the alloy or other metal (usually copper) makes up for 7.5% of the jewel, or flatware. When the alloy comes in contact with the oxygen in the air, it will begin to tarnish or yellow the silver. Eventually the alloy in the silver will oxidize and turn a dark almost black colour. If you have a soft polishing cloth you can usually easily make silver shine again.

Prevention of Tarnishing

• Remember to keep your silver piece in a zip locked or air tight container to prevent tarnishing.
• Store your jewels in a cool, dry place
• Take jewelry off when showering, bathing or swimming as this will speed up oxidization.

Cleaning your Silver Jewelry

• Clean your jewelry with a soft clean cloth before storing to get rid of dirt and oil.
• Use a soft treated polishing cloth to remove tarnish
• Do not use abrasive materials such as toothpaste or brushes as this will scratch the metal

Patina

Over time, silver jewelry will have darkened areas as well as lighter shinier areas. Some styles, such as the Balinese style earrings already have a patina or antique look. This is to increase the contrast of the designs, so over polishing these pieces will actually change the look of the piece. With sterling silver jewellery, polishing and cleaning will always clean the patina leaving a beautiful shiny piece. Some people prefer the look of these darkened or antiqued silver, if this appeals to you, leave your sterling silver the way it is.

Follow these tips to ensure that you keep your silver pieces as beautiful as ever.

About the Author:

Lakshmi Gosyne is a teacher, loves organic products and manages Pacifika Spirit. She lives in Northland, New Zealand with her husband. Read her blog to find information on South Pacific treasures, or information on the culture of the South Pacific. You can follow her on Twitter or Facebook  for updates, news and more.