Keeping your sterling silver jewelry looking beautiful for many years is easy if you follow the 5 simple steps outlined below. For more in-depth explanations of these steps, please refer to our other guides.

     1. Keep them clean. It is much easier to remove tarnish and soil when it is minimal. If you allow  your jewelry to become black with tarnish, it could potentially damage the metal alloy. Remember, the longer you go between cleanings, the harder it will be to restore the piece to it's original lustre. It's always better to keep it clean using a polishing cloth periodically and store it in an air tight bag, like a zip-lock bag, to keep the tarnish down. Or, even better, wear your jewelry! This actually helps to retard the growth of tarnish.

     2. Always remove your jewelry before using any household cleaning products that may contain ammonia, alcohol, bleach turpentine or fingernail polish removers that contain acetone. Some of these substances can break down the metal alloys, leaving your jewelry dul or pitting the surface of your gemstones.

     3. Clean your jewelry before you store it and store it in the proper manner. See instructions on the proper storage of jewelry in our other guides. Avoid storing your sterling silver jewelry directly on wood surfaces, because wood usually contains acids that can mar the finish. DO NOT place in a cardboard box or on paper as they contain sulfur producing compounds in them that accelerate the rate of oxidation.

    4. Keep tarnish to a minimum by storing your silver properly and cleaning it before they get overly tarnished. When your jewelry needs to be cleaned, follow the recommended cleaning methods outlined in our other guides.

    5. Check for loose Stones or parts and have them repaired right away so you don't lose them. With normal wear and tear, stones may loosen over time. If a stone rocks in it's setting, you will need to tighten the bezel around the stone to prevent losing your precious gemstones. You can usually tighten these yourself, if you're careful while doing it. The back of a spoon works well. Run it along the bezel to press it down on to the gemstone and tighten it again. It is always advisable to consult a local jeweler to tighten the bezel if you're unsure if you can perform the procedure yourself. The cost to perform this is minimal.