If you own a stunning piece of silver jewelry, whether it’s a pendant or a pair of sterling silver earrings, the first step in making its beauty last is to store it well. Regular cleaning and proper storage can add decades to your sterling silver earrings.

Store sterling silver earrings in plastic bags to avoid oxidation. Silver becomes black when it is exposed to air. This is due to the process of oxidation. When you store your silver jewelry in plastic, the air supply is cut off. Remove silver jewelry before washing your hands or having a bath.

Coating: Many jewelers recommend dipping sterling silver earrings to remove the black color of oxidized silver and bring back its sheen. But, dipping is not recommended because even the most careful hand can and will leave microscopic humps and bumps on the jewelry. A number of dips can seriously alter the shape and character of your jewelry.

Cloth: In most jewelry shops, you will get what is called the Sunshine Polishing Cloth. This is a soft cloth that can be used to clean both gold and silver jewelry. The cloth becomes black as you use it, but you can continue to use the cloth for a while. This cloth contains a number of chemical cleaners. If your sterling silver earrings lose their sheen, simply wipe the jewelry with this cloth.

Cleaning: Do not use water or soap to clean sterling silver earrings. Instead, clean silver jewelry with baking soda. Since you do not want to handle or inhale the powder directly, an easy way is to drop the sterling silver earrings into a plastic bag that contains baking powder and squish the bag so that the powder is rubbing against the jewelry. Any powder stuck to the crevices in the jewelry may be taken out using a toothbrush. You may rinse the jewelry with water and then use the toothbrush with a light hand. Rinse well and dry with a paper towel immediately.

Alternatively, you can also use a tarnish remover to clean silver jewelry. But make sure that the tarnish remover does not come into contact with pearls or opals. Or, use a tarnish remover that is safe for these.

In case your sterling silver earrings have a antique look and you feel you have polished it too bright, you can use a piece of steel wool to polish the places that need the matt look. Remember, this will leave tiny abrasive marks on the jewelry. Do not use steel wool on rhodium plated silver jewelry.

There! Now, you have no more excuse to wear silver jewelry that has gone black with age!

Sterling silver goes well with many beautiful colored gemstones: garnets, amethysts, onyx, and turquoise, to name a few. The metal itself is beautiful as a simple chain necklace, bracelet or even hoops. Silver jewelry compliments clothing of many styles and colors. It looks especially good with black because the brightness of the silver contrasts with the darkness of the black. Silver also looks good with bright and dark shades of color like red, royal and navy blue, emerald and forest green and medium to deeper shades of purple.

No matter what silver is worn with, it always looks its best when it is clean and shiny. What causes silver to look dull and aged is if the metal is dirty, and the process of oxidation. Oxidation is just the exposure to air. Harsh cleaning products such as bleach and chlorine are also very damaging to sterling silver. You can clean silver with a silver polish but that often gets stuck in intricate designs and be difficult to remove. Silver polish also wears away at the surface of the metal, as does a polishing cloth.

Care Tips for Your Silver:

* Remove your jewelry before cleaning with harsh cleaning products.
* Store jewelry when not worn in sealable plastic bags. This will help slow the oxidation process.
* No-tarnish strips can be put in the plastic bags and this will further slow the oxidation process. These strips can be purchased at a jewelry supply company, or possibly a fine jewelry store. It is best to periodically replace these strips.
* Basic kid blackboard chalk works similarly to the no-tarnish strips and may be easier to purchase. They work by absorbing any airborne impurities that may tarnish the silver. Place them in the plastic sealable bag and replace them monthly for best results. With a little extra care, your special piece of jewelry can look bright, brilliant and shiny for many years of wear.