By Sam Serio
Sterling silver jewelry is enjoying an unprecedented popularity with today's fashion conscious public. You know how beautiful sterling silver jewelry is and how brilliantly it shines. Now here is the rest of the story.
Silver has been used since ancient times, but has not survived as well as ancient gold because it tarnishes and decomposes. There have been times, however, when silver was "in"; we are going through such a vogue today.
Silver is the commonest of the precious metals. Fine silver is pure silver, which is seldom used for jewelry because it is too soft. Sterling silver is 925 parts silver to 75 of copper, the alloy most often used. Silver weighs about half as much as gold, has greater flexibility, but is not as malleable, it has always been less expensive as well. A comparable piece of gold jewelry might cost four or five times that of a piece of sterling silver jewelry.
The current fashion trend toward black clothing has made silver jewelry more popular than ever. Silver likes to be worn; it stays cleaner & shinier through movement and friction. So sterling silver is a perfect accessory for today's fast paced lifestyles. Much like gold, sterling silver needs to be cleaned.
Here are Some Tips for Greater Enjoyment of your Sterling Silver Jewelry
·To avoid tarnishing, wrap silver in tissue paper and store in poly bags with anti-tarnish strips (UTL-46). Use polishing cloth (UTL-1) to buff silver. Anti-Tarnish polish (UTL-47) may be used. Cleaning dip (UTL-25) should only be used as a last resort. Do not dip pieces with stones; it may cause damage to the stones. Minimize exposure of silver to perfumes, hair sprays or household cleaners. Avoid wearing silver in pools, hot tubes or the ocean. Some people may cause silver in contact with their skin to turn black, which may be difficult to clean.
Cleaning Tips
1. Thoroughly rub the sterling with a good silver cleaner & toothpaste, on a clean dry cloth dipped in baking soda; use a clean soft toothbrush for holes and crevices. Finally, rinse well and lightly towel-dry.
2. One old fashioned method for quick-cleaning is to rub dry ashes over silver.
3. A more modern approach is to purchase a chemical cleaner, impregnated jewelry cloth; that you should store in a Ziploc bag and keep near your jewelry storage box so that you use it frequently.
For cleaning badly tarnished silver, here's a neat little trick
1.)Cover the inside bottom of a heat-proof glass dish on bowl with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up.
2.)Place the tarnished silver in the bottom of the dish, contacting the aluminum foil.
3.)Add 1 heaping tablespoon of baking soda, and then slowly pour boiling water to cover the piece. The tarnish will gradually collect on the aluminum foil.
4.)Remove your silver, rinse thoroughly, and polish.
Please note: This is a good time to mention that there is a difference between polishing and cleaning. To polish means to make your jewelry brighten with a glossy finish. A jewelry polish can be used for added brilliance after a thorough cleaning (follow the directions on label.) A routine rubbing with a polishing cloth keeps your sterling silver jewelry looking great.
About the Author:
The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit [ http://www.morninglightjewelry.com] for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.
