Cleaning silver jewelry – what you can do. Tips from the expert

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You may have experienced this – your favorite sterling silver necklace has tarnished or turned black over time, and your beloved piece of jewelry is losing its shine. Haven't you ever wondered how to clean my silver jewelry? Can I possibly do it myself? Is there a home remedy? Or who does it, and, above all, how much does cleaning silver jewelry cost?

Let’s start with the question: why does silver jewelry actually turn black?

The precious metal silver "oxidizes," or rather, reacts with the hydrogen sulfide contained in oxygen. This chemical reaction causes silver sulfide to form on the surface of the jewelry, and this chemical reaction leads to the unsightly brownish-black discoloration.

Our silver jewelry is made of 925 sterling silver, which means 92.5% silver content, the rest is alloy material, mainly copper.

How do you clean silver jewelry?

For tarnished (darkened, oxidized) silver and gold jewelry, there are the following cleaning options:

Something you can easily do yourself, a household remedy so to speak, is to clean it with a specially impregnated jewelry cleaning cloth . Simply rub the piece of jewelry. This will make the surface shinier and brighter. However, this only works with non-rhodium-plated (electroplated) silver jewelry. Do not wash the cleaning cloth under any circumstances!

Cleaning with hot (not boiling) water, dishwashing liquid and a fine-bristled toothbrush can also be done by yourself for almost all pieces of jewelry or watch straps.

Cleaning jewelry in an immersion bath

For special silver and gold dipping baths, place the piece of jewelry in the bath for 1 to 2 minutes and then rinse under running water and dry.

The item should not be immersed for longer than this, as this could result in a dull surface or discoloration. NEVER immerse jewelry containing pearls, coral, amber, etc. (organic gemstones). Caution is also advised with opaque (non-transparent) stones such as lapis lazuli, malachite, turquoise, azurite, rhodochrosite, etc.

Silver jewelry with the so-called “old silver effect,” in which the desired aging process has already been anticipated by oxidation with liver of sulfur or oxide pickling, should not be cleaned in an immersion bath, or only for a very short time.

These dark, usually recessed areas become gray and unsightly if left in contact for too long. The immersion bath should also only be used on non-rhodium-plated jewelry.

Professional cleaning, as in our workshop, is achieved using special polishing pastes and polishing wheels (and matting discs if necessary), followed by ultrasonic cleaning. Occasional cleaning in an ultrasonic bath is free of charge for our customers.

Proper care and inspection of your jewelry also contributes to its lasting enjoyment and value.