Collection: Jewelry Care

We want your jewelry to last you for as long as possible, for you to love and enjoy. If you treat them with proper care, they will last for many years.

Sterling Silver, Silver Plated, and Stainless Steel Tarnishing & Care

Does 925 sterling silver change color and tarnish??

Sterling silver, even real .925 sterling silver, will always tarnish. While pure 99.9% silver is less likely to tarnish, any sterling silver will tarnish as a result of the metal mixed in. Pure silver is too soft to be used in jewelry crafting. Therefore, jewelers will often add a small quantity of copper to strengthen the silver. The resulting product is .925 sterling silver, which contains 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. It is the primary material used for silver jewelry.  Unfortunately, because of the metals added, sterling silver, even real .925 sterling silver, will always tarnish.

Tarnishing does not mean that the silver is low purity. Using a cleaning cloth is one of the best and easiest ways to clean your tarnished or oxidized silver. That is why Anchored In Your Faith includes a cleaning cloth with every jewelry order.

However, fortunately there are many ways to keep sterling silver from tarnishing.

• Corrosion in sterling silver takes place when silver gets into contact with salty solution or chemicals. Therefore it is very important to keep jewelry away from salt water and any house products or toiletries solution.
  
• Can you shower with sterling silver? It’s basically fine. But we do not encourage our customers to wear your sterling silver when showering. Water generally doesn’t harm sterling silver, but there is a good chance that it could lead to tarnishing. In short, do not wear your jewelry in the shower, hot tubs, pools, or doing dishes.
  
• Avoid wearing jewelry in activities that make you sweat, such as outdoor chores, sports, or going to the gym.
• Last to put on, first to take off. Another important rule to prevent silver from tarnishing is that your jewelry should be the last thing you put on, after applying make-up and perfume and the first to be taken off, before your shower or activities. This is to preventing contact between any possible chemicals or salty sweat and your silver.
• Consider your home and work environment. Examine your job or environment to see if you deal with chemicals or other solutions on a regular basis. If that’s the case, remove your silver before working with chemicals. For example, people working at cosmetics or perfume sales job might find themselves having to clean their silver jewelry more regularly.
• If you are living in a rather polluted environment, your jewelry might tarnish faster due to high level of Sulfur in the air. As a result, it will need more regular polishing as well.
• It might just be your body chemicals. In some rare cases, certain people’s sweat could react more with silver, resulting in faster tarnishing. This can become even more pronounced if the person is eating certain foods or using certain medication.
• Wear it regularly. After reading all these tips, you may want to store your sterling silver and never wear it. But that’s the last thing you should do. One of the best ways to keep sterling silver beautiful is to wear it. As soon as you wipe it off and take care of it, it should look new and last a long time.
• In short, wear your jewelry regularly but do take them off at night, and keep them away from light and moisture and preferably in a Ziploc bag, jewelry bag, or box. Otherwise, prepare to polish and clean them more regularly in order to maintain their perfect shine.

After reading all these tips, you might be inclined to throw your sterling silver jewelry into storage for life and never wear it. But that's the last thing you should do.

If you want to keep your jewelry looking its best, the most effective way to do it is to take it out and wear it all the time. As long as you wipe it down when you're done wearing it, it should look like new at all times and last forever.

Cleaning your jewelry is quick and simple!

How to use a Polishing Cloth

Gently rub the surface of your jewelry with the polishing cloth. This will keep your jewelry looking beautiful. If you see dark residue on the cloth, that is OK! That shows it is working correctly and taking off any dirt, oil, and residue on the surface of your jewelry. Do not wash your polishing cloth or it will lose its effectiveness. Keep your cloth in a safe dry area away from children and animals.

Here is a great home remedy that is used to clean sterling silver jewelry:

Stainless steel:

We carry quite a few pieces that are stainless steel. Though it is not the same color as fine silver, it has an attractive muted grey color and can have a shiny or matte finish. Stainless steel is more tarnish resistant. An added bonus is that stainless steel jewelry is an excellent alternative for wearers with allergies and sensitivity to base metals such as copper or brass. These amazing pieces are best cleaned with your cleaning cloth, microfiber, 100% cotton cloth, or a baby's toothbrush. You can use lukewarm water if needed. Dry immediately with your polishing cloth.

We truly hope you enjoy your Anchored in Your Faith Jewelry and Gifts!