WHY DOES SILVER TARNISH

Silver tarnishes because of oxidisation – but it is not caused by oxygen exposure. Tarnish develops due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the air or in any materials that come into contact with the silver.

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HOW TO PREVENT TARNISCH

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All sterling silver will tarnish over time, regardless of quality or price. While you cannot prevent it, you can certainly slow the process down.

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Storage: One main way to do this is to store your silver jewelry so that it is not exposed to air. You can store silver in airtight bags. A good idea is to add anti-tarnish strips into the bags. This prevents tarnishing. 

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Chemicals and exposure: After wearing your jewelry, make sure you clean it before you store it away. Body oils and other elements can build up on the surface of the silver and speeds up tarnishing. It’s a good idea to remove all silver jewellery prior to contact with water such as swimming and showering. Keep away from household chemicals, body fluids or any sulfur containing item such as latex, wool and onions. Don’t get it in contact with makeup, lotions or cosmetics either. Always add your silver jewelry last.

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Maintenance: When washing your silver, use warm water and baking soda to wash the items gently. Dry with a soft cloth to remove dry water spots and store carefully. Polishing your silver jewelry is another good way to delay the rate of tarnishing.

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SECRET INGREDIENT
 

It's something we all have in our kitchen, baking soda! And cleaning silver with baking soda is one of the most environmentally-friendly ways to remove stains from the precious metal.