How to Care for Silver and Gold Jewelry

Most damage happens slowly

Jewelry is rarely ruined in one go. It dulls under a film of lotion and skin oil, darkens with tarnish, scratches from rubbing against other pieces, and loses its plating to daily contact with sprays and sweat. The good news is that a few habits prevent nearly all of it. This guide covers chains, pendants and rings in sterling silver and gold. For watches, see How to Clean an Iced Out Watch.

Daily habits

The most useful rule of all is last on, first off. Put your jewelry on after perfume, hairspray, lotion and makeup have dried, and take it off before bed, the gym or a swim.

• Pools and hot tubs: chlorine attacks the alloys in silver and gold, and repeated exposure can make metal brittle. Salt water is hard on finishes too.
• The gym: knocks, bent prongs, squashed links and a lot of sweat.
• Housework: bleach and cleaning sprays are the worst things silver and plating can meet.
• Bed: chains tangle and kink overnight, and clasps take the strain.

When you take a piece off, give it a quick wipe with a soft, dry cloth before putting it away. It takes seconds and removes most of the oil that causes dullness and tarnish.

A five-minute clean

Every two to four weeks, depending on how often you wear the piece:

1. Mix a few drops of mild dish soap into a bowl of lukewarm water.
2. Let the piece soak for a few minutes to loosen the film.
3. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush, paying attention to the back of the stones and the gaps around each setting. That is where lotion and grime collect, and it is what makes stones look cloudy.
4. Rinse in clean water, with the sink plug in.
5. Pat dry with a lint-free cloth and let it air dry completely before you store it.

Moissanite is extremely hard and is not bothered by any of this. In our experience, “cloudy” moissanite is nearly always just dirty on the back, and a clean brings it straight back.

Sterling silver and tarnish

Tarnish is a thin dark layer that forms when silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air and on skin. It builds faster in humid rooms and on pieces that sit unworn for months. Light tarnish comes off plain, polished areas with a silver polishing cloth. Rub gently in straight lines rather than circles.

• Avoid silver dips on set pieces. They are harsh, they collect around settings and they can strip rhodium plating.
• Skip toothpaste and baking soda pastes. Both are abrasive and leave fine scratches.
• If a piece is rhodium plated, soap and water is usually all it needs. Polishing it too often wears the plating thin.

Solid gold and gold-plated pieces

Solid gold does not tarnish, so soap, water and a soft brush are all it ever needs. It does collect fine scratches, and a jeweler’s polish removes them when a piece starts to look tired.

Plated pieces need a gentler hand. Never use polishing cloths, dips or abrasive cleaners on plating, because they take the gold off with the dirt. Wipe them with a soft, damp cloth, dry them straight away and keep them away from perfume and hand sanitizer, which cause most plating wear. Not sure what your piece is made of? Gold, Silver and Plating Explained covers the differences.

Storage

• Keep pieces apart. Moissanite is harder than any metal and will scratch whatever it rubs against. Use separate pouches or a box with compartments.
• Fasten chains. Close the clasp and lay chains flat or hang them so they cannot knot.
• Keep it dry. The bathroom is the worst place to keep silver. A bedroom drawer is better, and an anti-tarnish strip or a silica gel sachet in the box helps.
• Keep the original box. It was made for the piece and is the easiest way to store it safely.

A quick check every few months

Look your pieces over in good light. Make sure clasps snap shut firmly, that jump rings and bails are not wearing thin, and that every stone is still tight. Give a pendant a gentle shake next to your ear: a rattle means something is loose. Catching wear early is the difference between a small repair and a lost stone.

If something does not look right, email [email protected] with your order number and a photo.