One of our favorite metals at Belle Ame is 925 Sterling as it's a very sturdy, yet beautiful and eco-friendly metal.
However the classic sterling does tend to tarnish after much wear giving it a vintage look - some people love the "worn" vintaged style, and in fact pre-vintaging silver jewelry is extremely common. However if you wish to keep that original bright silver sheen (especially beautiful in raw and unplated silver), here are a few simple steps to maintain or restore your sterling pieces.
CARE TIPS
Don't shower or workout with your Sterling jewelry and keep it in a clean, soft, dry space isolated from scratchy surfaces.
Use a soft "jewelry specific" polishing cloth after wear. Dry immediately if you get your piece wet.
We recommend keeping in a jewelry drawer in a box or on a soft cloth, storing chalk sticks in the drawer will keep the air from getting moist as well.
An Old Recipe to Restore Sterling Silver That Actually Works
- 1 liter water
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
- 1 Sheet Aluminum Foil to cover pan base
Drop your Sterling Silver piece in the water (make sure entire item is submerged in water), leave for anywhere between 10-45 seconds depending on how tarnished your jewelry is.
An example of a heavily worn and tarnished (this piece went through a lot of wear and tear - in the shower, running in the rain with it, and generally used for a few months without following any sane care instructions) raw Sterling Silver piece that was dropped in the above recipe for 25 seconds. See the before and after (no retouching) photos:
Stay tuned for more cleaning and maintenance examples.