Sterling silver rings are the perfect way to add timeless class to your jewelry collection. Sterling silver has a brilliant shine and works for almost all styles. From the carefree Bohemian look of Southwestern style sterling silver jewelry embedded with turquoise to delicate snake chains adorned with intricate pendants, sterling silver jewelry can match any closet, any age, and any style choice.
When you invest in a beautiful sterling silver ring, you’ll want to make sure that you care for it correctly so that it lasts the way silver jewelry was meant to. Silver is incredibly durable, so to encourage it to maintain its luster and beauty, follow these 6 tips:
1. Understand the stamped numbers
The numbers stamped on your silver jewelry are “fineness marks” or “hallmarks”. These marks demonstrate the percentage of pure silver the piece of jewelry contains. Sterling silver, for example, is 92.5% or 925 out of 1000 parts silver. These numbers can help you understand how you should care for your silver rings. If your ring has .925 stamped on it, it means it’s sterling silver and is it a bit sturdier, than say .950 silver, which requires a lot of polishing. You’ll want to purchase your rings from a place of repute, like https://adinasjewels.com, to make sure that the numbers stamped on your jewelry are real.
2. Water can harm your rings
While pure water doesn’t damage your silver jewelry, most of the water we are exposed to is not actually pure. What this means is that getting your sterling silver rings wet can lessen their life. While wearing your jewelry in the shower won’t make it fall apart, wearing your sterling silver rings in places like swimming pools or hot springs can expose the metal to chemicals like chlorine and sulfur that it cannot handle.
3. Store your jewelry properly
Not storing your jewelry properly can lead to dirtying and tarnishing. Sterling silver jewelry should be stored in individual, air-tight containers with anti-tarnishing properties. Don’t bunch jewelry together in one bag or leave them lying around. Silica gel packets can also help prevent tarnishing.
4. Know what chemicals to avoid
While your sterling silver rings are pretty durable, there are plenty of chemicals that your rings should not be exposed to. While you may (correctly) assume that you should not wear your jewelry while using harsh chemicals like bleach or household cleaners. Things like sweat, excessive sun exposure, handling things that have sulfur (like eggs and mayonnaise), or when putting on makeup or hair products.
5. Polish properly
Even perfectly maintained jewelry needs cleaning once in a while. Proper cleaning includes using a non-abrasive cloth to avoid scratching and move to a new section of the cloth. You’ll want to avoid polishing areas that are intentionally oxidized and do not rub in a circular pattern, instead, follow the grain of the silver.
6. Wear it often
Finally, if you want your sterling silver jewelry to look their best, wear them! While this might sound funny, wearing your sterling silver jewelry on a regular basis. The friction of your skin will clean off tarnish as it forms.
