Jewellery Care

Polishing cloths are an excellent choice for cleaning your sterling silver jewellery. You might read recommendations to use toothpaste to clean sterling silver, but avoid doing that — toothpaste is abrasive and can leave scratches. The treated cloth slows down the tarnishing process and keeps the jewellery from rubbing against harder jewellery that might scratch it.

Tarnish and oxidisation on sterling silver often results from your sterling silver jewellery being exposed to humidity and the sulphur in the air. At Sterling Shadows we recommend you keep your sterling silver jewellery stored in a cool, dry place.

Sterling silver jewellery that is worn continually often develops a lovely patina, a kind of glow combined with darkened areas. This is sterling silver’s normal reaction with the natural acidity in your skin. If you like the look, leave it alone. If you prefer a bright and shiny look for your sterling silver, use a polish cloth to restore the jewellery to its original appearance.

If your sterling silver jewellery becomes deeply scratched through daily wear and tear, a normal treated cloth will not be enough to restore the finish of your jewellery. We recommend taking your jewellery to a professional jeweller who can use his or her specialised equipment to buff and tumble deep scratches out of your piece.

At Sterling Shadows we advise strongly against wearing your silver jewellery in the shower. Water will not do a lot of damage to plain sterling silver jewellery – but your shampoos, conditioners, soaps and other shower products can. Chlorine is one of sterling silver’s worst enemies, so remember to take off all your sterling silver jewellery before swimming. We also recommend that you apply all of your perfumes and moisturisers before putting your jewellery on for the day.