I get many questions about how to care for and clean silver jewelry, liquid silver jewelry, marcasite jewelry, and jewelry with gemstones. I own a shop where I sell sterling silver and gold jewelry, as well as beaded and other stone jewelry such as Native American fetish necklaces and jewelry carved from stone.

Here are my observations and suggestions:

(1) Sterling Silver tarnishes from sulfides in the air. You will notice the tarnish will take on a golden hue, and eventually, it will turn black. This is a natural process.

Higher sulfide levels are associated with humidity and/or air pollution. Remember, the more humid the climate, the faster sterling will tarnish. A lot of my customers come to me in the summer months with tarnished chains that they have been wearing in hot humid settings and the combination of perspiration and humidity has turned them an ugly color.

Silver does not do well in hot tubs or swimming pools, Chlorine reacts with the metal and oxidizes it, turning it black very fast.

(2) Sterling silver will polish up by rubbing or buffing it with a soft cotton cloth. A chemically treated cloth, like a
Rouge Cloth or Sunshine Cloth, makes the job a lot easier and faster. Sometimes when the tarnish is too far gone, it takes a professional cleaning with polishing compounds and machinery.

(3) Sterling silver dips are fast and easy. However, be careful! I do not recommend them!

First, many dips will take the color and polish off many gemstones.

Second, when using a dip, if you leave the piece in too long, or don’t rinse it well enough with fresh water,residues will be left on the piece when it dries. The residue is difficult to rub off, and it is very hard to get the piece back to a shiny silver look.

When using a silver dip, dip the piece quickly in and out of the dip. Then immediately rinse it in clean water. When the piece dries, buff it with a treated
Rouge Cloth.The buffing brings out more of the shine, helps take off any residue left on the piece, and with a treated
Rouge Cloth,leaves a little bit of a protective anti-tarnish coating on the piece to keep it shiny longer.

When using a dip, it is better to do an in-and-out dip, then rinse and dry, then another quick in-and-out-dip, then rinse and dry, than to leave the piece in the solution for a long time.

Any dip, however, is a last resort. The piece would have to be very difficult to buff up with a soft cloth before I would resort to this.

(4)The
Money Clips I make when used every day do not really get tarnished. The only cleaning recommend is to use mild soap and water with a soft tooth brush, and then proceed to a treated Rouge Clothfor final polishing. I recommend that you never use dips on your money clips. You will notice that there is black in the recessed areas and around the edge of designs when your jewelry is new. This is because the oxidation was put there by me or the manufacturer of the jewelry and you are not supposed to remove it.

(5) Keep your silver in a plastic bag after cleaning and completely allowing it to dry effectively shielding it from the sulfides.

(6)As far as Marcasite jewelry goes, your concern is to prevent dissolving the glue holding the marcasites in place.

First, use a soft cotton cloth or treated
Rouge Clothto buff up your jewelry. Never use a silver dip. The dip will dissolve the glue.

Finally, take off your marcasite jewelry before you wash your hands in soapy water. Never wash dishes with your marcasite jewelry still on as dish detergent dissolves the glue.

If you need to replace your marcasites, use an epoxy glue. Never use superglue!

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