Keeping Good Care for Your Silver Bracelet
A silver bracelet is an elegant piece
of jewelry that can be worn with almost anything at any
occasion. However, silver is exposed to elements everyday that
cause it to tarnish or to oxidize. The catalysts for tarnish
include many elements such as oxygen, sulfur, or even the salt
residue from your hands. There is some proper care and cleaning
that one must know to keep silver looking its best. Here are
some helpful tips to keep your silver bracelet looking
beautiful.
Preventing Tarnish
There are certain chemicals and products that can cause your
silver bracelet or other silver jewelry(i.e. a silver necklace or silver earrings) to tarnish that
should be avoided. Do not apply any sort of sun tan oil, hair
spray, hair color, perfume, rubber, and body lotions while
wearing your silver jewelry. These all contain chemicals that
can potentially cause your jewelry to tarnish. Always remove any
silver jewelry when working with chemicals such as bleach,
ammonia, alcohol, finger nail polish removers with acetone, and
turpentine. Also the acids in tape, cardboard, and newspaper can
be harmful to your silver bracelet. Avoid contact with wool and
felt (these materials contain sulfur that can cause the silver
to oxidize) and do not shower with your silver bracelet on. Keep
away from these things to also avoid potential tarnish of your
sliver bracelet.
Cleaning
You should clean your silver bracelet regularly to remove
tarnish. When cleaning, do not use any materials that are too
abrasive and that will scratch the material. Never use a
toothbrush, no matter how soft the bristles are suppose to be.
Instead, clean your silver bracelet with a soft, cotton,
lint-free cloth. Also, wear plastic gloves instead of rubber
gloves since the rubber can possibly cause the silver to
tarnish.
With your soft cloth and plastic gloves you are ready to begin
cleaning your silver bracelet. To begin, remove any dust or
debris that could possibly scratch the item. Next, rinse the
bracelet with warm water and mild soap (avoid scented soaps) and
pat dry. The bracelet is now ready to be polished. Many polishes
are available in different forms (i.e. pastes, liquids, and
foams). My recommendation would be to use a polish that gives a
wax-like finish; this creates a barrier for future tarnish. No
matter what you use, be sure to remove all the polish from your
jewelry. To finish, rinse in warm water (do not soak) and pat
dry.
General Care and Storage
When you are not wearing your silver bracelet, you should always
store it in a place that is airtight to avoid oxidization. Do
not store jewelry in cardboard boxes or tissue paper. The
chemicals from these materials will cause more harm than good.
The best way to store your silver bracelet is by placing it in
an airtight cabinet or drawer along with anti-tarnishing strips.
There are also special silver cloths that can be purchased to
wrap your jewelry in for storage. It is best to keep them
jewelry pieces separate in order to avoid possible scratching.
Remember, one of the best ways to keep you silver bracelet
looking good is to wear it! Your body oils act as a shield for
many of the catalysts for tarnish.
If you keep good care of your silver bracelet in its cleaning,
storage and general care of it, you will be able to wear it for
years to come. Just remember to keep it away from harmful
chemicals, keep up with cleaning it, and to store it properly.
It is important to take care of your jewelry so that it may
remain beautiful every time you wear it.