Preserving The Finish - How to Prevent Tarnishing & Clean Your Precious Metals

Have you ever gone to wear a favorite piece of jewelry only to take it out and find it brown or black with tarnish?  Or, if you sell jewelry, how many times has a customer contacted you months after a purchase to complain that it’s now dull and tarnished?  These customers often think the tarnishing is a result of faulty work, or of misleading item descriptions of their purchase.  We know that isn’t the case, but how do we explain this to our customers without sounding defensive? 

If this has ever happened to you, then you know how frustrating either of these scenarios can be.  Unfortunately, we have to take the bad with the good and accept the fact that sterling silver, pewter, and even some types of gold, will most likely tarnish at some point in time.  Luckily, there are many ways to slow this process or even prevent it from happening all together.    Before we get into that however, let’s learn what causes jewelry to tarnish in the first place.

The most common cause of jewelry tarnishing is known as metallic abrasion, which is caused by makeup on your clothes or skin.  Cosmetics usually contain components that are harsh to jewelry and actually harder than the jewelry itself.  They will slowly rub off microscopic particles of the precious metal.  Very finely split jewelry always looks black, so when you have multiple particles rub off it will look like a black dust.  When this “dust” comes into contact with skin, clothing, or any absorbent surface, it will stick, causing a black smudge and thus, tarnish. 

Another common reason for tarnishing is corrosion.  Corrosion occurs when impurities in the metal oxidize in the air.  Perfumes, aerosol sprays (such as hairspray), perspiration and many other chemicals can cause corrosion of the metals.  This process speeds up when the metal is exposed to warmth.  You may notice that your jewelry will tarnish much quicker after a week at the beach.  This is because of the humidity and moisture in the air.

So, what can we do to prevent the tarnishing of our precious metals and rid them of this eyesore if it does happen?  Luckily, there are several ways to do both, including many organic options.  One very easy preventative measure is to use anti-tarnish paper tabs in your jewelry storage cases. 

Anti-Tarnish Paper Tabs

These tabs absorb the moisture in the air and will prevent tarnishing for up to 6 months.  This is perfect for jewelry designers who have multiple storage cases with components that may sit for long periods of time.  Which brings me to the next preventative measure…store your precious metals in air tight containers.  This is a good way to prevent the metals from coming into contact with Sulfur, which can be found almost anywhere and is a huge enemy of precious metals. 

A third, and easy, way to prevent tarnishing is to follow the Golden Rule for wearing jewelry, and it applies to all jewelry both silver and gold:  “your jewelry should be the last thing you put on before going out and the first thing you take off when you get home.”  Doing so minimizes your jewelry’s exposure to the oils in your skin as well as harsh chemicals found in products like detergents and other household cleaning solutions.

There is no sure fire way to prevent tarnishing from happening.  But, following the simple steps above will greatly reduce the need for our next discussion – how to clean tarnish once it rears its annoying head.  Removing tarnish is a little trickier than preventing it because different metals require different methods.  However, for all precious metals, polishing them regularly is one way to keep them shining like new and rid them of the beginnings of tarnishing before it completely covers the piece.  (It’s much easier to remove tarnish if you catch it in the beginning stages.)  There are many jewelry specific polishing cloths on the market but a soft cotton rag will also do the trick.

If polishing doesn’t get your jewelry quite as clean as you’d like, or if the tarnishing process is further along than the beginning stages, you’ll need to put a little more effort into cleaning it.  For sterling silver, a simple organic method is to use Baking Soda activated by boiling water in the

 

Sterling Silver "Beauty" Message Bead

presence of aluminum.   To do this, line a glass dish with a piece of aluminum foil that is slightly crumpled and place your jewelry so that all of the silver is touching the aluminum.  Next, sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda over it.  Then, pour just enough boiling water to immerse the jewelry.  If done correctly, it will bubble and give off a rotten-egg odor.  Gently move the pieces around with a wood or plastic spoon or spatula to ensure that all of the silver comes into contact with the aluminum.   Now, rinse it under tap water and dry it with an absorbent towel.   Finish it off with a polishing cloth and voila - your sterling silver will look brand new again.

Cleaning pewter jewelry involves different ingredients all together.  First, make a paste by mixing salt, flour and vinegar.  Next, apply the paste to your pewter jewelry, making sure to cover all of the exposed metal.  Allow the jewelry to sit for 15 minutes to an hour and then rinse it in warm water. 

Antique Silver Pewter Empress Link

Finally, dry it with a soft cloth or polishing cloth.  I like this method because you can easily clean pewter jewelry that features other components without worry of damaging those components.  You only need to apply the paste to the pewter portion of the piece.

Although pure gold doesn’t tarnish, it can become discolored.  And lower karats of gold actually do tarnish if not carefully cared for.  As a rule, the higher the metal alloy content, the higher the risk for tarnishing.  In other words, 14k gold jewelry is more likely to tarnish than 18k gold because 14k is roughly 42% metal alloy while 18k is only 25%.  Luckily, there’s a simple (and organic) method for

Gold Filled 5mm Corrugated Round Beads

cleaning gold jewelry as well, this time using dish soap.  First, put a few drops of the liquid soap into some warm water and mix it gently.  You could also use club soda or sodium-free seltzer water.  Place the gold jewelry in this solution and soak it for approximately 15 minutes.  Gently scrub each piece with a soft-bristled brush.  Eyebrow brushes are great for this purpose, but you can also purchase brushes specifically designed for jewelry cleaning.   Now, rinse the jewelry in warm water and blot dry with a soft, cotton cloth.

In addition to the above cleaning methods, there are also a wide variety of inexpensive and quality jewelry cleaning products on the market.  Just be sure to read the labels carefully as many products are specific to one type or group of jewelry i.e. sterling silver, gemstones, pearls, gold, etc…  And, if time is of the essence or you don’t feel comfortable cleaning it yourself, most jewelry stores will clean your rings free of charge while you wait. 

And there you have it.  So, the next time you open that jewelry box to find a black necklace greeting you instead of bright silver, you’ll know what to do.  Or, the next time a customer calls thinking they’ve been sold a low quality piece of jewelry, you’ll know how to educate them and offer a solution! 

If you have a nifty jewelry cleaning tip, feel free to share it here by leaving a comment.  Happy cleaning everyone!

 

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