How to Keep Your Jewellery Gleaming
Silver tarnish is completely natural and nothing to worry about. It’s simply the metal’s way of reacting with the world around it. While you can’t completely stop tarnish, with a little care, and a good polishing cloth, you can keep your silver jewellery looking bright, beautiful, and ready to wear whenever you like.
You can slow it down with a few simple actions:
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Store it carefully - keep your jewellery in airtight bags or boxes with anti-tarnish strips. Each of my gift boxes will contain an anti-tarnish tab which should help to protect your jewellery for up to six months.
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Keep it dry - take it off before swimming, showering, or exercising.
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Limit chemical contact - put jewellery on last, after perfume, hairspray, and lotions.
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Wear it often - regular wear helps slow tarnish as the friction from movement gently polishes the silver.
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Clean it regularly - use a soft polishing cloth made for silver to keep the shine.
Why does silver jewellery tarnish?
It happens because of a chemical reaction between the silver and certain substances in the air, particularly those containing sulphur. When silver comes into contact with these, it forms a thin layer of silver sulphide on the surface, which is what gives silver its dull or darkened appearance - a change to the surface that can be polished away.
This reaction can be triggered by:
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Sulphur in the air - found naturally in small amounts, especially in polluted areas or near the sea.
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Everyday items - such as rubber, and even some foods like eggs and onions.
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Skin contact - our natural skin oils and lotions can help speed up tarnishing.
Why does some jewellery tarnish faster?
Not all silver jewellery tarnishes at the same rate but it can be sped up by:
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Humidity - damp, humid environments make tarnish appear more quickly.
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Pollution - cities or industrial areas often have more sulphur in the air.
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Storage - jewellery kept out in the open is exposed to more tarnish-causing substances.
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Contact with perfumes, cosmetics, and skin oils.
Tarnish vs Corrosion – A Quick Clarification
Unlike corrosion in metals like iron (which can cause actual damage), tarnish is just a surface layer.
It doesn’t ruin the silver itself, and it can be polished away without harming the jewellery.