Silver cutout heart pendant
Silver Care & Information
General information about sterling silver and how to care for your sterling silver jewellery.

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925.

Fine silver (99.9% pure) is generally too soft for producing large functional objects; therefore, the silver is usually alloyed with copper to give it strength, while at the same time preserving the ductility and beauty of the precious metal

 

Silver has been used to make jewellery since ancient times, but the exploration of continents in the western hemisphere uncovered more productive silver mines than Europeans had ever seen. More silver has been mined and used since the late 1700's than in all prior centuries combined.

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Cubic Zirconia (CZ)
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cubic zirconia

Cubic zirconia, often abbreviated to CZ, is a synthetic stone used as a diamond simulant.
It is the oxide of the metallic element zirconium. Zirconium dioxide, known as baddeleyite, is found as a naturally occurring mineral, but with a different, monoclinic, crystalline structure. To induce it to crystallise in the cubic system, it is "doped" with small additions of other minerals, mainly yttrium or calcium. Cubic zirconia should not be confused with zircon, which is a rare naturally occurring gemstone.

How to clean silver jewellery
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Make your own polishing dip

Fine or pure silver doesn't tarnish, but sterling silver and other silver alloys will darken after exposure to air or salt water. Fine chains or intricate designs can't readily be cleaned with a polishing cloth, but there is a non-toxic cleaning solution you can make with common household chemicals that can remove the tarnish or oxidation. Best of all, you don't have to touch the liquid or scrub your jewelry in any way. It's safe, gentle, and fast.

Materials Needed

  • Sink or Glass Baking Dish
  • Hot Water
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Tarnished Silver

How to Make the Solution and Clean your Silver

  1. Line the bottom of the sink or a glass baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.
  2. Fill the foil-lined container with steaming hot water.
  3. Add salt (sodium chloride) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the water. Some recipes call for 2 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt, whereas others call for 2 tablespoons each of baking soda and salt. Personally, I wouldn't measure the amounts... just add a bit of each substance.
  4. Drop the silver items into the container so that they are touching each other and resting on the foil. You will be able to watch the tarnish disappear.
  5. Leave heavily tarnished items in the solution for as long as 5 minutes. Otherwise, remove the silver when it appears clean.
  6. Rinse the silver with water and gently buff it dry with a soft towel.
  7. Ideally, you should store your silver in a low-humidity environment. You can place a container of activated charcoal or a piece of chalk in the storage area to minimize future tarnish.

Helpful silver polishing tips
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  • Don't use this cleaning solution on jewelry that include gems. In particular, porous gems like pearls or turquoise would be damaged by the liquid.
  • Use care when polishing or dipping silver plated items. Any damage or imperfection in the plating would allow the liquid to attack the base metal underneath. The plated silver would look shiny and clean, but could be weakened internally.
  • To help keep your silver clean, minimize exposing your silver to substances which contain sulfur (e.g., mayonnaise, eggs, mustard, onions, latex, wool) as the sulfur will cause corrosion.
  • Wearing your silver jewelry will keep it free from tarnish.