Sterling Silver is said to be the most popular jewelry this year. This jewelry is usually branded as .925 silver as it consists of pure 92.5% sterling silver. The other 7.5% is made of other materials, usually copper.

(Interesting Tip: For more background on sterling silver jewelry, here are the related posts on: What is Sterling Silver / 6 Fun Facts about Sterling Silver)

We are all familiar with how fascinating and eye-catching the sterling silver jewelry pieces are. Their excellent luster surely captivates everyone looking for shiny jewelry, especially those who are budget conscious. Unfortunately, many are not aware that these jewelry pieces may be tarnished and corroded over time. On a positive note, there are techniques and clever ways to prevent this or slow down the tarnishing effect on your silver jewelry.  

Before we headed to the step-by-step guide on how to store your favorite sterling silver jewelry pieces, let us first discuss why it tarnishes in the first place.

Why Sterling Silver Jewelry Tarnishes?

Sterling silver jewelry is undoubtedly attractive, especially if you are the kind of person who loves to wear shiny shimmering pieces. Truth be told, it really tarnishes over time and the prevailing question for sterling silver jewelry fashionistas and icons is why this happens.

• Because of its exposure to oxygen.
• Due to its oxidative reactions with sulfur chemicals.
• Due to pollution, sudden extreme change in temperature, and high humidity.
• Due to too much exposure to heat, sweat, chemicals found in beauty products and essentials.

As you noticed, the reasons why sterling silver jewelry tarnishes are usually the things we encounter, do, or use daily. Let me guess, you are now wondering if there is anything you could do to prevent this, as mentioned above? Luckily, as we are committed to providing our customers the best sterling silver jewelry piece/s, we also came up with some tricks and tips for enjoying your precious handmade sterling silver jewelry pieces as long as you want!

Tip #1

You should clean tarnished sterling silver with a polishing cloth or washed it with silver cleaner. (Interesting Tip: Click on this link for further background on how to clean your jewelry: What is a Jewelry with Semi-Precious Stones and Why, When, and How Should We Clean It?)

Tip #2

Remember these do’s and don’ts with your sterling silver jewelry: DO NOT wear them while showering, swimming, or doing rough or extreme activities such as gardening. Take note that they do not stand a chance with moisture, humidity, and chlorine. DO wear it often as your skin’s natural oils are scientifically proven to help keep silver jewelry shiny. KEEP OUT of direct sunlight, so it is appropriate not to wear it on your beach getaway or pool bonding sessions.

Tip #3

Take out your sterling silver jewelry immediately after wearing it. Remember that it is crucial to put away your sterling silver jewelry immediately after wearing it. In fact, there are a lot of ways to store your favorite sterling silver jewelry collection. Some methods may seem to be harmful since how we keep our jewelry is really our personal choice. To prevent any untoward circumstance from happening to our treasures, here are some innovative ways you should consider to store your sterling silver jewelry collection.

How to Store your Valuable Sterling Silver Jewelry

Make sure it is clean and dry before storing it away

There are countless ways to clean your sterling silver jewelry as you browse the internet. Well, here are the sterling silver jewelry methods that our jewelry artisans strongly recommend for you a DIY at-home sterling silver cleaning.

• We highly recommend using mild soap and water cleaning methods as it is the most gentle way to clean your jewelry.
• You might read in some suggestions regarding using toothpaste. We recommend ignoring this tip and make a baking soda paste instead.

How to Make a Baking Soda Paste?

1. Combine and mix up two parts baking soda to one part water. Wait for it to fizz and foam up as a paste.
2. When you have created a baking soda paste, apply a small amount onto a soft cloth or toothbrush and scrub gently onto your sterling silver jewelry. Rinse and dry your silver jewelry with a soft cloth or microfiber towel.

• The use of white vinegar and baking soda is only recommended for removing heavy tarnish. To perform this method, immerse and soak up your sterling silver in a mixture of 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 2 tbsp baking soda for about two to three hours. Rinse and dry with soft cloth your sterling silver jewelry after soaking.
• After cleaning it with water, rinse it and dry it. Completed the process by using a polishing cloth explicitly meant for sterling silver.

Important Note: The key to keeping your sterling silver clean is to opt to maintain a regular cleaning schedule to remove tarnish as it builds. This task may seem complicated, but it is more challenging to let your piece accrue and gather more tarnish and then remove it all at once.

Keep the air out!

We highly recommend storing your sterling silver jewelry in an airtight container or anything you can find in your home that has a tight seal, such as Ziploc bags or Tupperware boxes. As mentioned above, sulfur reacts with sterling silver causing a black layer on your jewelry known as tarnishing. Limiting the air exposure to your sterling silver collection means less time for sulfur and oxygen to react with your silver.

Important Note: Avoid storage containers with adhesive as this product contain sulfur.

Look after your storage place

Keep your precious collection in a cool, dark place. As mentioned earlier, sunlight, heat, and moisture can accelerate tarnishing on your sterling silver jewelry pieces.

Do not store it in a paper, cardboard box, or cotton-filled boxes as these may contain traces of sulfur accelerating your sterling silver jewelry pieces tarnishing.

Also, never store or place your sterling silver jewelry pieces in uncoated wood, newspaper, or rubber. Many people chose to wrap their silver jewelry in rubber bands or newspapers and noticed how quickly their silver tarnished without wearing it daily. Remember that these products, mainly oak wood hasten to tarnish your sterling silver jewelry.

Store it individually and separately

Storing your sterling silver jewelry pieces individually by putting them in Ziploc bags or wrapping them separately with a soft cloth prevents them from any chance of being scratched or bumped with others.

If you are into DIY, you may possibly need to try and make up one of these innovative ways to store your sterling silver jewelry pieces:

1. Use empty rolls of toilet paper to keep your bracelets and necklaces. To accomplish this, you have to beautify or adorn your empty toilet paper rolls the way you want them by painting, wrapping, and sticking something colorful. Then, place the rolls on a small box and thread your necklaces and bracelets around them. A personalized and eco-friendly jewelry box is now all done and ready to be used instantly!
2. Recycle and transform your egg tray. This egg tray is perfect for storing your sterling silver rings, earrings, and brooches separately.
3. Recycle, use and transform one of your actual clothes hanger by attaching some small hooks to the bottom on it. With this, DIY organizer you can hang up your necklaces and bracelets on your top drawer or dresser to easily spot which one is perfect to glam your outfit for the day.

Use tarnish-free products wisely

You may store your silver jewelry piece by keeping a few pieces of chalk with it. Since chalk is scientifically proven to be able to absorb moisture and help prevent tarnishing further.

You may store it with a piece of activated charcoal to help absorb gases that may cause tarnishing.

You may use silica packs found in your new clothing, shoes, or bags. Toss these silica packs in your jewelry box as they are proven to be an excellent moisture absorber and may prevent any change of color by drying the storage atmosphere within your sterling silver collection.

You may put on some anti-tarnish cloths on the lining of your jewelry box to absorb sulfur and moisture in the air. They are, in fact, chemically treated to prevent tarnishing on silver jewelry.

Pick your storage drawer and compartmentalized it

You do not need a fancy princess-like dressing table to store your sterling silver jewelry collection. Any of your existing drawers will do; you just have to rethink your drawers. What is more important is to pick a  drawer that is sizeable enough to contain all of your pieces of jewelry and easily accessible for you.

Once you have settled on which drawer to pick for your storage place, start sorting and tidying your jewelry collection by using your DIY organizers or purchased ones divided into several compartments. We recommend storing similar styles or gemstones together for easy access. Try to have a tiered storage system for you to save more space and stay organized at all times!

Conclusion

After you purchased new handmade sterling silver jewelry at Lotus Fun, what worries you next is where and how to store it. You better not worry anymore as you finished reading this fantastic jewelry storage guide.

The best way to maintain the shiny shimmering appeal of your sterling silver jewelry is by blending proper innovative storage techniques and regular at-home cleaning. We strongly suggest having an annual cleaning of all your sterling silver jewelry done by professionals.

We hope that this jewelry storage guide offered some insight and helped you understand the nature of your sterling silver jewelry. We hope these ideas and ways will keep your precious sterling silver jewelry collection stay glittery sparkling for years to come!