It’s Springtime and that always makes me think of Spring Cleaning.
This year as we begin to think about putting our ‘hard pants’ back on and getting out there again, I figure it’s a great time to also get our jewelry back to its sparkly best!
If your silver jewelry has gotten tarnished, you might find some success with this recipe to remove the tarnish. However, this method can remove ‘purposeful’ patina, so choose the jewelry you plan to clean this way carefully:
· Start by placing a piece of aluminum foil at the bottom of a glass dish.
· Fill the container with boiling hot water.
· Add two tablespoons of table salt.
· Add two tablespoons of baking soda.
· Place your silver pieces into the water, spread out so they aren’t touching each other.
· Soak for several minutes, longer for heavily tarnished items. Some tarnish should transfer to the foil.
· Rinse thoroughly to prevent pitting. I use a soft toothbrush to lift off the final bits of tarnish.
It’s like Magic!!!
Jewelry often has texture or recessed design, and the patina highlights the depths of those details. See the below examples of jewelry before and after patina application. Note how much more prominent the details become once patina is added?
Avoid the aluminum foil method and commercial silver dip products on these types of jewelry pieces. Silver dip products can both remove the custom patina from jewelry and also damage gemstones.
For those pieces, use a polishing cloth and start with a light touch. Try to stay on the highlights or raised areas of the metal.
To help prevent your jewelry tarnishing, wear it often! Believe it or not, your skin’s natural oils will help keep silver jewelry shiny. One of the easiest ways to prevent tarnish is to simply wear your silver often as opposed to letting it sit in a jewelry box unworn.
When not wearing it, store your jewelry in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place. A resealable zipper bag can be ideal, or you can also find specialty jewelry bags for a more attractive option.
With your purchase of Bedrock Rose jewelry, I provide a small zipper bag with an anti-tarnish square to get you started. This won't prevent your jewelry from ever tarnishing, but it will help immensely.
I also include a polishing cloth to allow you to maintain the shine. Gently rub the cloth over the areas that need buffing while avoiding the gemstones. Also avoid the recessed patinated areas, as this can potentially remove the purposeful patina. Do not use harsh abrasives or chemicals - they can harm the metal and gemstones.
Remember when I mentioned you should wear your jewelry often? There are a few instances in which you should not—while showering, swimming, or sitting in a hot tub. Scented body products and chlorine are not friends to jewelry. Perfume and sunscreen can also damage your jewelry.
If you have any questions about cleaning up your jewelry, do get in touch. I also have lots of beautiful pieces available to ship if you're looking for something new to jazz up your outfit of the day!
Check out my collections here: www.bedrockrose.net