What is Sterling Silver (also known as 925 Silver)?
Pure silver is a soft material that cannot be worked with in its raw state, so other metals such as copper are added to it so it can be shaped and crafted.
Sterling silver, or "sterling" (925 silver), is a silver alloy with 92.5% purity — meaning the alloy contains 92.5% silver by weight and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The alloy is also called "925 silver." It is considered a very high-quality silver alloy,
widely used in jewelry making, and it is water-resistant.
Caring for Your Silver Jewelry
When sterling silver comes into contact with oxygen at certain concentrations, high humidity, or harsh substances like chlorine, acids, sulfur, or seawater, an oxidation process begins that shows up as tarnishing. For this reason, it's recommended to spend a few minutes occasionally giving your jewelry a thorough cleaning, to restore its natural metallic beauty and shine.
How to Clean Tarnished Silver Jewelry?
Dedicated cloth
We recommend using a high-quality microfiber cloth to clean silver jewelry — it helps prevent natural metal tarnishing.
Dedicated cleaning solution
If your silver jewelry has tarnished, there's a dedicated silver-cleaning solution available.
- You can purchase it online or at most jewelry shops.
- Carefully follow the usage instructions on the packaging.
- Under no circumstances should the solution come into contact with skin or eyes.
- Soak the jewelry in the solution for a short time — no more than a few minutes — or the piece may be damaged.
- When removing the jewelry from the solution, use gloves or a plastic bag so the solution doesn't touch your skin.
- The solution is not suitable for jewelry combined with pearls or gemstones.
Toothpaste
Silver jewelry without gemstones can be cleaned easily and quickly with regular toothpaste (not whitening paste). Use a toothbrush or cloth to scrub the piece, then soak it for a few minutes in a bowl of warm water, rinse, and dry thoroughly with a towel.
Baking soda
For no-scrub cleaning, line a glass bowl with aluminum foil. Place the jewelry directly on the foil and sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda over the pieces.
Cover the jewelry with boiling water and let it soak for a few minutes. Dry and polish with a soft cloth.
To prevent tarnishing of your silver jewelry, follow these guidelines:
- Remove jewelry before washing dishes or bathing.
- Don't spray perfume or apply creams onto your jewelry.
- Don't wear jewelry in the sea, pool, or hot springs.
- You can shower wearing silver jewelry, but it may accelerate tarnishing.
- Avoid working out or sleeping with your jewelry on.
- Don't store jewelry directly inside the box it arrives in — the sponge inside the box contains a chemical that causes silver to oxidize and tarnish quickly.
- Store jewelry in a tightly closed box to minimize air exposure.
- You can use a fabric-lined box that wraps the jewelry well, and wrap each piece in aluminum foil or cling film.
- Another trick that works: place copper coins inside the jewelry storage box to help prevent tarnishing.