Taking care of your jewellery

All of my jewellery is made with sterling silver, Argentium silver and/or gold. A property of silver is that it tarnishes. If you would like to know exactly what tarnish is, the Sheffield Assay Office has an excellent article (click here). 

Argentium silver tarnishes less than sterling silver, which is one of the reasons that I use it. Argentium is a silver alloy, but where sterling silver is 92.5% silver with the rest being copper, Argentium silver is 94% silver with a bit of germanium and a bit of copper.

Ways to clean your jewellery 

(this does not apply to silver or gold plated pieces!)

• A polishing cloth is a simple way to remove tarnish. Available in most department and hardware stores, the cloth can be rubbed over the piece and it will remove tarnish.
• Silver dip is also available in most department and hardware stores. This is what I recommend for cleaning any of the earrings that I make, as it is easier to clean intricate or small pieces this way. Simply follow the instructions provided with the dip. Do not dip your jewellery if it has an oxidised finish - if you do then the black will be removed. You can rub these pieces gently with a polishing cloth to clean. 

 

If you are unsure about cleaning your jewellery, please contact me and I am happy to advise.