Keeping your silver jewellery and gemstones in pristine condition is quite easy and takes very little time. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is that jewellery and gemstones be well looked after and that includes keeping them clean. We generally discourage the use of chemicals including silver dips as in the long term, when used on silver jewellery, it can leave marks that are extremely difficult and in some cases, impossible to remove. Gemstones should never be cleaned using chemicals without obtaining professional advice first as there is a good chance they will become damaged as a result. We only recommend cleaning silver jewellery with a cloth specifically designed for cleaning silver and where possible, gemstones should not come into contact with the cloth. In the UK our preferred choice is Goddards but there are many other brands available all of which are just as good. Rubbing silver jewellery with the cloth should remove any trace of tarnish quite easily leaving your item looking bright and well polished.
Always keep silver jewellery wrapped in a piece of material or in a soft pouch when it is not being worn as this will protect it from becoming scratched as well as reducing the build up of tarnish. Tarnish is caused because of various pollutants in the atmosphere and humidity, heat and bright sunlight can further contribute to its build up. When cleaning silver jewellery, it is not recommended to use a brush or an abrasive as there is a good chance it will leave scratch marks. Silver jewellery which has been allowed to become excessively tarnished should initially be cleaned with a silver cloth, however it is likely to take some time and a considerable amount of rubbing before the tarnish is completely removed. In extreme circumstances, a good quality silver dip could be considered but we would recommend using it just once and the jewellery should only be left in the solution for a very short period of time. No chemical solution should be allowed to come into contact with gemstones as there is a strong possibility of it causing irreparable damage. Preventing the build up of tarnish on silver jewellery is always easier than removing it!
People who are allergic to silver will often find that their allergy is in fact to Nickel and Nickel is often used as an alloy in silver jewellery. Pure silver is extremely soft so it must be mixed with something else in order to strengthen it before it can be used, this does not detract from its value as it is a necessity. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and the other 7.5% is usually an alloy of Copper but this can also include other metals including Nickel. Many of the alloys which have been introduced in recent years for use in jewellery, offer some benefit such as reducing the rate at which it tarnishes or eliminating the likelihood of firescale. Hypoallergenic silver is Nickel free hence those with allergies can usually wear it which almost definitely confirms that the allergy is to the Nickel and not the silver. Silver jewellery with a high percentage of Copper has a tendency to tarnish much quicker hence at Stone Mania, we use a very low percentage of Copper in our silver jewellery to minimise this effect. Painting your silver jewellery at the point where it comes into contact with the skin with clear nail polish may help to reduce an allergic reaction, but this will need to be re applied over time.
Salt is a corrosive and Chlorine which is frequently used in swimming pools, can also cause damage to jewellery and especially to gemstones so both should always be removed before swimming and as sweat contains salt, when in the gym as well. Never allow jewellery or gemstones to come into contact with household detergents as these may cause irreparable damage so either remove rings or wear gloves, however there is some evidence to suggest that the latex in rubber gloves can also speed up the rate at which silver jewellery tarnishes.
Gemstones have evolved over millions of years but if not well looked after, they can quickly become dull and lose their ‘sparkle’ hence they should be stored somewhere cool, dry and dark and should not be allowed to come into contact with each other. This is due to the possibility of softer gemstones being scratched by gemstones that are harder. Wrapping gemstones in material or keeping them in a pouch is ideal. A scale was developed in 1812 by a Viennese mineralogist named Friedrich Mohs to measure the scratch resistance of one mineral against another and this has become known as Mohs scale of mineral hardness and is still used extensively today.
Having some basic knowledge about the gemstones in your collection is paramount to be able to look after them well. For example Chrysocolla is particularly soft measuring 2.5 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness so it may crack or chip easily. Malachite is very porous hence is likely to become damaged if allowed to become wet. Amethyst, Emerald, Malachite, Opal, certain colours of Tourmaline and Turquoise are all known to fade or change colour if exposed to excessive heat whilst Emerald, Opal, Garnet, Tanzanite, Peridot, Tourmaline, Quartz and Topaz can also crack if exposed to sudden temperature changes.
Another factor to be aware of if you have Turquoise or in fact any gemstones, is that many are particularly sensitive towards chemicals including perfumes, hair sprays and other cosmetics so great care must be taken around these items. Should gemstones come into contact with any of these or any similar products, it can result in them losing their colour, dehydrating or in extreme circumstances even cracking. It is always good practice to wipe gemstones with a soft dry cloth before putting them away which will remove any pollutants that they may have accumulated whilst they were being worn.
If well looked after, gemstones should rarely need to be cleaned but when they do, some suggest using warm soapy water and a soft cloth or brush but this could leave scratch marks and of course for gemstones which are porous such as Malachite, water would not be recommended. Likewise for gemstones which are sensitive to chemicals, using soap would not be a good idea so if ever in doubt, always seek professional advice first.
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