How to Care for Silver Jewellery: 5 Easy Tips

Silver is the perfect affordable and long-lasting material for jewellery making, but it can quickly tarnish over time without proper care. Cleaning your silver jewellery regularly is essential to keep your pieces looking new.

Silver is made from 92.5% pure silver mixed with other metals, making it inexpensive but also prone to tarnishing due to the composition of the metals. Strong chemicals, sweat, chlorine, harsh sunlight, and some skin care products can easily affect the brilliant shine that makes silver jewellery so appealing.

Knowing how to care for your silver jewellery will help to keep your pieces shining brightly for years to come. In this blog, discover four easy tips for caring for your silver jewellery.

A woman wearing silver jewellery from the FIYAH Plume collection

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1. Prevent Tarnishing by Wearing Silver Often

Believe it or not, one of the best ways to prolong the life of your silver jewellery is by wearing it regularly. This is because your skin’s natural oils help keep the silver shiny. Keeping your jewellery sitting in a box is often when tarnishing starts to occur.

Of course, there are some occasions where you should certainly remove your silver jewellery (or all jewellery for that matter), for example, when you’re doing household chores or your skincare routine, as the chemicals can tarnish your jewellery over time.

2. How to Store Your Silver Jewellery

For when you’re not wearing your silver jewellery, any container can be used to store it, as long as it’s airtight. You can also find special jewellery bags that look amazing, but if you can't get your hands on these a Ziplock bag will work just as well.

You should keep your silver in a cool, dark place as sunlight and moisture can help speed up the tarnishing process. If you can avoid using paper or cardboard boxes, your silver jewellery will thank you as they can contain traces of sulphur, speeding up the tarnishing process.

3. Clean Silver Jewellery Using Baking Soda, Vinegar, and Water

Previously, toothpaste was recommended as an effective silver cleaner, but now they contain many more ingredients that may damage your silver jewellery in the long run. However, here are some affordable and more suitable ways to clean your silver jewellery:

Baking Soda and Water

Baking soda and water are gentle on your jewellery, and you can find baking soda in most households. Simply make a paste by slowly adding water to a tablespoon of baking soda, apply a small amount to a cloth or toothbrush, and scrub gently.

White Vinegar and Baking Soda

This works well on heavy tarnishing. Soak your silver jewellery in half a cup of white vinegar and add 2tbsp of baking soda (this will create a fizz, so it’s best to do this in the sink), leave your jewellery to soak for at least two hours, follow this by rinsing and patting your jewellery dry.

4. Clean Silver Jewellery Using the FIYAH Jewellery Polish Cloth

Looking for a more simple and less time consuming method to clean your silver jewellery?

Our jewellery polish cloth is dry and infused with cleaning properties. Gently rub your silver jewellery pieces (all silver jewellery, not just for FIYAH jewellery) with the FIYAH polish cloth and in a matter of seconds, your jewellery will be back to it's original self, shiny and bright.

Shop: Jewellery Polish Cloth, £7

5. How to Prevent Tarnishing

There are a few things you can use when looking to prevent your silver jewellery from tarnishing, including:

Silica Packs: You’ll find these with clothing or shoes you order online and are great for absorbing moisture.
Anti-Tarnishing Cloths: You can line your jewellery box with these clothes as they help absorb moisture and sulphur.
Store with Chalk: Again, this is a low-cost way of helping to prevent tarnishing as the chalk will help absorb any moisture.

Keep Your Silver Jewellery Looking Like New

All in all, keeping your silver jewellery looking like new comes down to proper love, care and attention. Remember, it’s easier to prevent tarnishing from occurring than it is to remove it, so following these top tips will be the key to keeping your silver looking like new for years to come.