How to Take Care of Sterling Silver Jewelry

When you have a lot of sterling silver jewelry, you really want to know the best possible way to keep it from tarnishing. Yes, all sterling silver tarnishes in time. Sometimes the manufacturers put a coating of rhodium over the top of the silver to keep it from tarnishing. This does not mean it is plated, it means that the jewelry is sterling silver with a coating of rhodium to keep it from tarnishing. (Plated jewelry is a coating of silver over junk metal, this does not make it sterling silver. Please be aware of the difference) The easiest way to keep your jewelry from tarnishing is to polish it everyday with a polishing cloth specially coat for cleaning silver, if the jewelry is kept out in the open. For instants, on top of a counter or hanging up on a board. If the jewelry is kept in a case that is pretty much air tight, then you will not have to polish everyday, only about once a week. Also remember if your customers handle the jewelry, polish it afterwards. Finger prints, will tarnish you jewelry also. Certain skin types that are very alkaline will tarnish silver almost instantly. So always remember to polish after handling. Use a good polishing cloth, one that is made specifically for silver. There are many out there, but only a few will actually be of quality. These clothes have a dry chemical that removes tarnish and leaves a protective coating on the jewelry. (Always good to have in the store, for yourself and for the customers who are buying from you.) We never recommend a silver jewelry dip. The reason is that most people don't follow instructions. These dips are designed for a quick clean, drop in swish around and take out. A lot of people think if a little time does well, then more time does better, WRONG! The more time the jewelry sits in the liquid cleaner, the pastier it gets. Your jewelry will never recover from this, so always read instructions about these liquid cleaners. Also remember if you are going to use one of those cleaners to always use a polishing cloth afterwards to put a protective coating back on the jewelry, otherwise it will just start to yellow in a few days and then tarnish again quickly. The liquid cleaners are designed for badly tarnished jewelry and as a last resort, or if you have a lot of pieces that are starting to tarnish but are not quite there yet. To get back to reality, if you are going to have sterling silver in your store, you have to keep up on it. It is not that hard if you remeber to polish everyday and keep the finger prints off of it, you jewelry will always look good for the customer. When not selling all pieces, remember to keep the jewelry stored in zip lock baggies and away from other types of jewelry, i.e. costume jewelry, fake silver jewelry, even gold jewelry will tarnish sterling silver, so never mix them together. Silver loves its self!