Wade Stone & Glass Works

Easy Jewelry Cleaning & Care Instructions

Tarnish on Sterling Silver simply can not be avoided, but it can be reduced significantly. Fortunately, it cleans off easily, returning your jewelry to it's original brilliance.

When you are not wearing your jewelry, keep your sterling silver jewelry in a plastic zip top bag with all the air squeezed out. This will help retard the silver from tarnishing. When it needs cleaning, One option is to use a liquid sterling silver cleaner. Dip for just a few seconds and rinse thoroughly in warm water. Dry each piece well before re-bagging.  If your jewelry has pearls or semi-precious stones, DO NOT USE A SILVER CLEANER! There are jewelry cleaners specifically made for them. A jewelry cloth may be a better alternative for certain items. Both jewelry cleaner and polishing cloths can be found in retail stores near the jewelry counter or it can be purchased on the internet. Please use care when using these products and read the manufacturers instructions.

I have been told a small piece of white chalk added to the zip bag also helps in retarding tarnish. I personally have not tried it, but it might be worth a try. Anti-tarnish strips are another product that is availble, They can be purchased at Fire Mountain Gems (www.firemountaingems.com). I have not tested them long enough to determine how well they work.

Note:  Many people are surprised that the silver cleaner I use is safe for Swarovski and other crystal, Swarovski pearls, and Czech glass. I use it to clean my charm bracelets that have a variety of glass beads and silver combined. It does not seem to affect even AB coating on glass. One note of caution though, is for cleaning Bali silver. If the Bali silver has the dark oxidation on the bead (that's suppose to be there on some styles), the liquid sterling cleaner will take off some of it. It's better to use a polishing cloth on it.

                    Pictured below are a few items I use and am happy with.

Conniosseurs Silver Cleaner

  Sunshine Polishing Cloth

Jewel Brite Cleaner