Once silver was valued much higher than gold, and jewelry from it was subject only to aristocrats. Times and priorities changed, silver was getting dark, while golden rings continued to shine with sunlight. So, the fashion for this metal began to fade, because care for silver products was then still unknown.
Why does silver darken and fade?
Silver in the production can have several varieties of samples. As a rule, the highest 925 test is used for jewelry, leaving the remaining combinations for the manufacture of cutlery or inexpensive accessories. 100% material is not used by jewelers, as it has excessive ductility. Nevertheless, each silver alloy, in spite of the proportion of precious metal in the composition, darkens.
The main causes of darkening of the metal:
- sweat;
- product sample;
- air humidity;
- the use of certain creams;
- the use of certain drugs.
The reason for the darkening lies in the silver itself, because it, like any metal, is prone to enter into various chemical reactions. In this case, when in direct contact with the body, the silver jewelry begins to interact with sulfur, which can be found in sweat. The amount of this substance may vary, depending on the hormonal background of the person, and therefore the product may darken faster or slower. It should be noted that not always the side of the pendant lying on the body darkens first, because any reaction needs oxygen.
Product sample also plays an important role in the speed of darkening. A small amount of silver in the composition is a clear reason for the quick dullness of the product. It is worth noting that even a 925 sample can darken, because rhodium is used as a coating here. This layer provides a great view of the product, but quickly cracks when heated and humidity. In order to maintain a light appearance for as long as possible, it is important to remove jewelry while undertaking cleaning while in the bathroom or sauna.
However, even with all the recommendations, it is almost impossible to save silver unchanged. Sooner or later it will have to be cleaned, and therefore it is important to learn the most safe and effective methods.
Cleaning Methods
The silver product is very moody, and therefore it is important to prepare it for special cleaning procedures at home. So, you need to make a solution of warm soapy water and soak silver for two hours. After such a procedure, it is important to remove the main dirt with a soft brush or sponge. Perhaps only this procedure will be enough.
If the gentle method using laundry soap is powerless, it is important to go a little further by cleaning the product with ammonia 10%. With its help, you can quickly clean (within 15 minutes) any product.
After such a short soaking, the silver is rinsed with water and dried thoroughly with a soft cloth. It is worth noting that drying should occur after each procedure, because leaving silver in a wet form is fraught with divorces.
And if the option with pure ammonia requires a well-ventilated room or even a balcony due to the pungent odor, then the next cocktail for cleaning is more pleasant.
Its components:
- 250 ml of cold water;
- 1 tablespoon ammonia;
- a few drops of hydrogen sulfide;
- some baby shampoo.
All products, whether silver earrings or a bracelet, are placed in the prepared mixture and soaked. The residence time of silver in the solution should not exceed 1 hour. With light pollution, the result can be seen after 15 minutes. The cleaning procedure at home ends with rinsing the jewelry in water and drying with a soft cloth.
A silver ring and other jewelry without stones cleanse gruel from tooth powder and ammonia.
For lack of powder for brushing your teeth, you can replace it with crushed chalk. The composition is applied with a cotton pad or swab and wait for the complete drying of the mass. Later, the remnants of the product are removed with a dry microfiber cloth, rinse the jewelry and wipe dry.
These cleaning methods are quite simple, but not always the ingredients can be found in the house. Therefore, we will present several means that are certainly on the kitchen shelves.
Effective and simple home silver cleaners:
- vinegar 6%;
- baking soda;
- Coca Cola;
- tomato ketchup;
- egg yolk;
- salt;
- lipstick.
Vinegar for thorough cleaning is slightly heated, and then applied to a soft cloth. If 100 ml of vinegar is mixed with 50 g of water, the product will noticeably brighten and shine after two hours of soaking in solution.
Especially interesting and original ways with drinks and food. So, if you boil silver for 5 minutes in a saucepan with Coca-Cola, you can marvel at the perfect result. The latter allows you to achieve ordinary ketchup. 10-15 minutes of finding products in it will help restore its former shine.
Egg yolk is another excellent remedy that not only cleanses well, but also provides prevention of blackening of silver. The yolk is applied to the surface, dried and washed off. The film remaining after such a “mask” protects well from contamination.
Lipstick is a modern way to combat black on silver. Cosmetics of any shade are applied to the product and wiped well with a cloth. It is worth remembering that balms and hygienic lipsticks do not possess such properties.
Folk proven cleaning products:
- bring to the boil the eggshell from raw eggs in 500 ml of water, dip the silver into the broth, remove it after a couple of minutes and dry well;
- place the tarnished product in yogurt;
- citric acid and water in a ratio of 1: 7 are placed in a water bath with an arrangement at the bottom of copper wire and directly silver jewelry. The procedure lasts half an hour.
There are a great many procedures for removing plaque and dullness, but the possibility of their application is limited to simple products without the presence of precious and semiprecious stones.
We wash off jewelry with a stone
When stones are part of silver jewelry, it always looks luxurious and stately. However, cleaning products is significantly more complicated.
The list of stones that can easily tolerate any type of cleaning:
- aquamarines;
- emeralds;
- sapphires.
Having a high density, they are not afraid of various substances, however, if the stones are fixed not with paws, but with glue, then the product should not be soaked and boiled.
List of stones subject to mechanical damage:
- turquoise;
- moon rock;
- malachite;
- opal.
Cleaning with brushes with the highest softness; powdery textures are not recommended for such decorations. Scratches that appear after such procedures will hopelessly ruin the product.
Stones afraid of high temperatures:
- Garnet;
- ruby;
- topaz.
The color of the stones may change, and therefore it is forbidden to remove plaque by boiling.
Stones requiring the most delicate cleaning:
- coral;
- pearls;
- amber.
Home cleaning is contraindicated in such products, and therefore it is better to entrust the solution to the problem to professionals.
A sparing method for experimenters at home can be considered a solution with grated laundry soap and a few drops of ammonia. The mixture begins to boil, and then it is cooled and a product is wiped with a soft brush, using a cotton swab for the area around the stone.
It is worth noting that silver-plated products can be cleaned by a similar method.
Product Care Rules
Knowing a few simple truths, you can extend the life of silver jewelry, always rejoicing in their brilliance.
Situations when silver needs to be removed from the body:
- physical exercise;
- excessive humidity in the room;
- cleaning;
- shower and bath.
Compliance with such simple recommendations will extend the luster of silver and protect it from complex pollution. It is the spots that cause the use of aggressive agents and damage to products. Surprisingly, when carrying out preventive methods, jewelry made of silver is almost always effectively cleaned with an ordinary soap solution with three drops of ammonia.
Types of fabric needed to care for silver:
- flannel;
- suede leather;
- felt;
- microfiber.
By purchasing several pieces of these materials, you can thoroughly dry the product, avoiding stains. The flannel known to everyone, modern microfiber or suede will be indispensable assistants in this process. Rubbing jewelry should be a daily routine for the evening after removing them from yourself.
To polish the product to that pristine sheen will help ordinary felt.
Please note that silver care does not require modern and expensive tools, because all the materials will be found under a thrifty master's hand.
Seriously thinking about maintaining shine, it is important to prepare the right place to store jewelry. A tight casket with a mass of products here will definitely be superfluous and even harmful.
A comfortable environment for storing silver products:
- dry room;
- a sufficient distance of silver from finding drugs with sulfur content;
- spacious storage, where each bracelet and ring has its own place, and they do not touch each other;
- range from any cosmetics;
- the box upholstery is soft and textured, preventing any minor scratches.
In addition, some silver lovers use the “passivation” service, made by specialists and jewelers, to preserve their splendor. A thoroughly cleaned product in this case is immersed for a certain time in potassium dichromate. The resulting thin film perfectly protects any product from darkening and scratches.
Knowing all the intricacies of the care and prevention of darkening of silver, it is difficult to call it a whimsical metal. All cleaning methods are as simple as possible, and the effect is always positive.
What other means can be used to clean silver jewelry? The hint is in the next video.
