Caring for Sterling Silver Jewellery - By: Catherine Darcy

The facts

Silver reacts with sulphur or hydrogen sulphide in the air and acquires a dull build up. This robs the silver jewellery of their natural sheen.

The rules

Avoid contact with perfumes, hairspray, chlorinated or salt water and household cleaning products as they will also tarnish or "blacken" the silver.

Don't bath or shower in your silver jewellery and put it on AFTER your hair and make up are done.

Keep silver jewellery away from direct exposure to sunlight or artificial light for long periods of time.

NEVER keep loose pieces together - silver is a relatively soft metal (like gold) and they will scratch as they contact each other.

Store your silver jewellery separately in tarnish-proof cloths, or its original pouches or boxes.

Cleaning

Any tarnish or dullness should be removed regularly to keep the silver items bright and sparkling.

A dilute solution of mild dishwashing liquid and water will remove light tarnish or dullness. Make sure that you remove all traces of moisture from the silver jewellery by drying them thoroughly.

For heavier tarnish, we recommend using a silver polishing cloth (available from all good supermarkets) or a silver polishing cream.

Be careful while using sterling silver dips. They may clean off the tarnish but they might damage the surface and they will damage stones, crystals or other items set in silver.

Never use a cleaner that contains Ammonia, which will turn Silver black. Should this occur, Vinegar will reverse the effects of Ammonia.

With a little care, good quality Silver Jewellery should last a lifetime.

Advice of caring and storing silver jewellery.

Catherine D’Arcy is the founder of Corazon Latino, an online retailer specializing in handmade silver jewellery. To see their exclusive range of silver bracelets and bangles visit www.corazonlatino.com