iram-inal designs - Caring for Sterling Silver

caring for sterling silver

Most of iram-inal designs' creations are made with .925 sterling silver. We use sterling silver not only for its hypo-allergenic benefits, but also because of its added value and enhanced beauty to the jewelry.

However, it is important to note that in purchasing a sterling silver item, certain standards of care are needed to keep your jewelry purchase in the best state possible to prevent it from tarnishing over time.

Below, you will find a slew of information that should be your guide in caring for your iram-inal designs. Enjoy!

The website www.about.com http://jewelry.about.com/od/silverjewelry/a/sterling_silver.htm describes sterling silver, how it is created in nature, and used to create the beautiful jewelry we wear today. It states:

Silver is a soft metal in its pure form, too soft to be used for jewelry and other items, so it's mixed with other metals to make it more durable. A popular silver mixture, called an alloy, is known as sterling silver.

The US Federal Trade Commission, the FTC, stipulates that jewelry sold in the US cannot be marked or described as silver, solid silver, sterling silver, sterling, or using the abbreviation Ster. unless it contains at least 92.5 percent pure silver.

The minimum silver content can also be stated as 925 parts per thousand of pure silver, so you might see the figures 925 or 92.5 used to mark silver content.

Copper Content

Copper is the most common metal used to round out the 7.5 percent alloy balance in sterling silver. It adds hardness to pure silver, but brings with it a tendency to tarnish--a darkening that occurs when sterling silver reacts with gases in the air or with other substances that it comes in contact with.

Storing Your Sterling Silver Jewelry

An important part of maintaining your sterling silver jewelry comes in choosing the proper place where to store your sterling silver pieces. Elements, such as humidity and open air, can cause your sterling to tarnish.

Tarnish is caused by the silver oxidizing from the moisture in the air and light that shines on the jewelry.

A tarnished item turns from a golden color to (eventually) a rich black color that does not allow you to enjoy the true shine and luster of your sterling silver jewelry.

So how do you prevent your sterling silver from tarnishing? Store your pieces in an air-tight, sealed container or bag when you’re not wearing them. In addition, using a special tarnish proof cloth, or zip lock bags made of polyethylene may assist in preventing your jewelry collection from tarnishing. Note: These bags must be made of polyethylene, and not polyvinyl plastic bags. These bags may contain sulfur elements that can expedite the tarnishing of your sterling pieces.

Items that may further damage or tarnish your sterling silver jewelry:

When storing your jewelry, attempt not to:

Store with rubber (leads to quick tarnish)
Store with other metals, such as nickel, copper, etc.
Store directly on wood surfaces (wood contains acids that ruin the finish of the silver)

Corrosion

As the purity of the silver increases, the problem of corrosion or tarnishing also increases.

A number of products have been developed for the purpose of polishing silver, such as Twinkle Silver Cream and Wright's Silver Cream, which serve to remove sulphur from the metal without damaging or warping the metal. As harsh polishing and buffing can permanently damage and devalue an antique piece of silver, valuable silver is typically hand-polished to preserve the unique patina of an older piece. Techniques such as wheel polishing, which are typically performed by professional jeweler or silver repair company, are reserved for extreme tarnish or corrosion.

The bottom line? MAKE SURE YOU STORE YOUR JEWELRY IN A SEALED, CONTAINED PLACE TO ENSURE THAT IT MAINTAINS ITS LUSTER.