For sterling silver lovers, tarnish is the bane of their existence. In addition to cleaning silver properly, there are ways to store your silver to avoid tarnish. Learn tips and tricks from a jewelry storage expert.
Tips for Storing Silver Jewelry
How you store your silver jewelry can significantly affect the amount of tarnish on your pieces. Learn a few ways to store your sterling silver from Marc Rothenberg, the president of Intercept Jewelry Care and Tarnish Tamer, which is a specialized silver storage system designed to avoid tarnish.
Store Away From Furnaces
"Since chlorine and sulfur are two of the main causes of tarnish, it is important to keep silver away from these gas sources. Sulfur is often present near furnaces and chlorine near water, so it is important to store your silver items away from these areas," according to Rothenberg. Consider a 2nd story bathroom or bedroom across the house from your furnace.
Use Anti-Tarnish Products
An excellent way to keep tarnish at bay is by using anti-tarnish problems like Tarnish Tamer. "Tarnish Tamer is a line of tarnish prevention storage products for consumer use that utilizes a patented formula which prevents tarnish before it starts, thereby eliminating the need for constant polishing. Tarnish Tamer works by absorbing tarnish caused by gases in the air. Tarnish Tamer is such a strong magnet for those gases that instead of being attracted to the silver, the gases are attracted to the Tarnish Tamer product, which then neutralizes those gases, rendering them harmless to silver," stated Rothenberg.
Seal Silver in Storage Bags
If you can't avoid the gases in the air in your home, then use storage bags. Storage bags can work to lock out the air in your home, but you'll squeeze all the air out and seal it. Just make sure to check the materials of the baggies to avoid abrasive materials.
How to Keep Silver From Tarnishing in Jewelry Box
Jewelry boxes can be a perfect way to store your jewelry. But even your precious jewelry box can't negate tarnish entirely unless it's a specific non-tarnishing type. Without having to run out to get a new jewelry box, there are a few things you can do to keep tarnish away from your silver.
Avoid Storage Containers With Adhesive
When getting a storage container for silver, it's important to remember that anything with sulfur is bad for the metal. "There are many boxes, pouches, and other jewelry storage products that are manufactured with adhesives that contain sulfur, so it is important to not place silver in containers that appear to be glued together," stated Rothenberg.
Add Something to Absorb Moisture
When trying to keep the moisture and chemicals in check in your jewelry container, you need to find something to absorb it. Adding silica packs or chalk works to absorb any excess moisture. While chalk you can pick up at the store, silica packets can be found in a lot of products you buy.
Store Jewelry Immediately
After wearing your jewelry, put it in the jewelry box right away. According to Rothenberg, "It is a good idea to wipe your silver with a soft, non-abrasive, chemical- and polish-free cloth to rid the silver of any make-up, skin oils, dirt, etc." before putting it away. This ensures the sterling silver is completely clean before settling into the box.
How to Store Silver Dos and Don'ts
Tarnish appears on silver jewelry as a black, grey, or tan coating on the surface of the metal. Typically, removing the tarnish requires special jewelry cleaning products and can be time-consuming. Some silver cleaning products can be damaging to soft gems or antique pieces, so it's important to try to minimize tarnishing using good storage practices. Take a quick look at jewelry dos and don'ts.
- Wrap jewelry individually in a cloth to avoid scratching.
- Keep each piece in its own area.
- Check regularly for loose stones.
- Store similar items in the same sections, like all your silver necklaces together.
- Try tiered storage systems.
Store Your Jewelry Perfectly
For many jewelry collectors, finding appropriate storage solutions for silver can present a problem. Because of silver's tendency to tarnish while in storage, you may have to spend some time cleaning pieces up before you can put them on. Use these expert tips for keeping your silver jewelry shiny.
