How to clean a silver chain?

Silver is a beautiful, attractive, even mystical metal. Jewelry from it is given special importance. Many people think that a silver chain conveys information about the physical and mental state of its owner, and if the silver has darkened, a person has health problems or has been jinxed. One can doubt the relationship between the appearance of dark plaque on silver and the state of health of the owner, but the owner will have to refresh the darkened metal in any case. If you don’t want to give the jewelry to a jeweler for cleaning, you can clean the silver chain using home methods.

Based on modern scientific information, the appearance of gray, black, greenish or rusty plaque on silver is caused by absolutely objective reasons, although some of them are related to the vital processes of the human body that regularly uses this jewelry.

The process of silver darkening is a chemical oxidation reaction, the result of which is the formation on the metal of the thinnest film of sulfur sulfide, sometimes with an admixture of copper or iron oxide, giving, respectively, a greenish or yellowish hue.

Being an objective sluggish process, the oxidation of silver, however, can be accelerated by the action of some external factors on the metal, namely:

1. Constant high humidity;
2. Regular exposure to bright ultraviolet radiation;
3. Contact with chemical elements such as sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.

Since the presence of sulfur in human sweat is scientifically proven, a constantly sweating person will quickly notice the darkening of his silver jewelrythan one who is spared from a similar physiological defect. Increased sweating is common for often colds, for the elderly and for those who take certain types of medications. These categories have to carefully monitor the state of their silver jewelry.

Hydrogen sulfide is present in some cosmetic preparations; it can be dissolved in sea water and is found in the chemical industry. therefore It is recommended to remove the chain of silver while relaxing at sea, when applying cream or when working with chemicals. Intense solar radiation is, on the one hand, the cause of active perspiration of human skin, on the other hand, it becomes a catalyst for the oxidation process.

The quality of the metal also matters. The slowest oxidation occurs on the surface of silver jewelry that have 925 samples, or, as is customary to say among jewelers, on the surface of sterling silver. Therefore, experts recommend this type of silver for everyday wear.

The plaque that appears on silver is sulfur sulfide, it is just a coating in the form of a film and can be removed even by home methods. That is why you can independently clean up almost any silver jewelry and objects to shine, whether it be rings, bracelets, a cross or table silver.

However, the cleaning approach will vary due to the quality of the metal, since in parallel it may be necessary to remove rust or copper oxides. Also, cleaning can be complicated by the presence of a coating or inserts that must be properly cleaned, without violating the identity of the decoration.

There are a lot of ways to clean silver to decide which one to prefer, it is worth reading user reviews.

This method of purifying silver is very risky. This is due to the peculiarity of a chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and a metal. Since the composition of a silver alloy can be completely unpredictable, it may contain components that, when exposed to hydrogen peroxide, turn black even more.

A similar effect has been repeatedly described in messages on the forums of jewelers, warning owners of silver jewelry from a similar cleaning method. Darkening can be partial or complete, but in any case, the appearance of the chain will be hopelessly damaged. It is also mentioned that in order to “save” the injured product, the owner will have to turn to a specialist jeweler, since at home it will be impossible to cope with such a reaction.

To wash a silver chain in vinegar, judging by the reviews of those who have tried this method, is quite safe. However, it must be remembered that in this case we are talking either about a 9% solution of food vinegar, or about a wine bite that is filtered to remove sediment. It is dangerous to clean silver with vinegar essence, or with a thick precipitate that may be present in wine vinegar.

Vinegar does its job well, because it contains acid, the concentration of which is sufficient to affect the sulfur sulfide film. At the same time, he is not able to cause damage to such a soft metal, which is silver.

In the case when the silver chain has only minor impurities, it will be easiest to wipe it with a soft cloth dipped in a solution of vinegar and restore the original shine.

To remove more serious browning, more cardinal method, which is designed to remove medium pollution:

1. The chain fits into plastic dishes;
2. Then a 9% solution of food vinegar is poured, which completely covers the chain;
3. For exposure, it may be enough as 20-30 minutes, and up to one or two hours; it is necessary to control the cleaning process visually;
4. Then the chain is washed under running water and polished with a soft cloth.

The following method is suitable in order to deal with significant darkening on the chain:

1. Heat vinegar until boiling;
2. Lower the chain;
3. Remove the solution from the heat and leave for 15 minutes;
4. Using tweezers, we take out the chain, rinse it under running water and leave it to dry on a soft cloth.

Citric acid is not difficult to purchase at any of the grocery stores.

She successfully acts on the black plaque that appears on the chain. The process of its removal is a sample of a soft chemical reaction, for the full course of which is required carefully observe all mandatory conditions.

Method No. 1, which is used for cleaning with citric acid, is simple, it perfect for restoration of lightly soiled silver jewelry, for example, for a grayish chain:

1. Pour half a liter of water into an enameled pan;
2. We breed in water 30 gr. citric acid;
3. Bring the solution to a boil and turn it off;
4. The chain is lowered into a hot solution and left for half an hour;
5. We remove, rinse with water and wipe dry.

Method number 2 is used for a significantly darkened decoration, it is also suitable for removing rust from a chain:

1. We breed 20 gr. citric acid in 100 ml of water;
2. We put food foil on the bottom of a small enameled pan;
3. We spread the blackened chain on the foil, wrap the edges of the foil so that the decoration is "in the envelope";
4. Bring the composition to a boil, then reduce the intensity of the fire and continue to boil for 10 minutes;
5. The appearance of black or yellow flakes in water is an indicator of cleaning efficiency;
6. We extract the chain with tweezers, trying not to touch the flakes floating on the surface of the water, otherwise they will settle on the metal again;
7. We rinse the chain in running water, wipe it with a microfiber cloth, gently polishing it.

Method number 3 will help to cope with significant pollution:

1. We dilute 20 g of citric acid in 100 ml of water, pour the resulting composition into a container for a water bath;
2. We put the chain in the prepared solution;
3. Then we drop a small piece of copper wire there;
4. We heat the solution in a water bath and boil for 30 minutes;
5. With care, we take out the chain from the hot solution;
6. We rinse the chain under running water and let it dry, occasionally wiping it with a soft microfiber cloth.

At home, you can wash a silver chain from black with the help of many improvised means.

One of the most common tricks, as Internet users write, is to remove black plaque from silver using a solution of ammonia, which can be purchased at every pharmacy and used at home. according to the recipe below:

1. In 100 ml of water, we dilute 1 teaspoon of ammonia and a small amount of dishwashing liquid or liquid soap;
2. We place the darkened silver chain in the solution and hold in it until the metal brightens;
3. We rinse the chain and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Quite quickly and efficiently, you can clean the darkened silver chain with ordinary table salt. The advantage of using this substance is that salt is always at hand for every housewife. There are a lot of ways to clean silver using salt. Among them, there are very simple ones that are suitable in order to remove a small coating from the decoration, but there are also quite complex ones that can restore the color of even a launched product.

Method number 1, which is recommended for cleaning a slightly darkened chain:

1. On the surface of the flannel or microfiber we spread the chain;
2. Abundantly fill the decoration with table salt;
3. We wrap the fabric with the contents and place it on the bottom of a glass or plastic container;
4. Fill the water, completely covering the bundle, and leave for an hour or a half;
5. After extraction, we wash the chain under a stream of hot water, wipe and polish.

Method number 2 will help to remove medium pollution from the links of the chain:

1. At the bottom of the plastic container we spread the food foil, on which we put the chain;
2. We fill the decoration with salt mixed with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in equal proportions;
3. We close the edges of the foil and fill the package with hot water;
4. The exposure time is 1 hour, after which we get the chain;
5. We rinse the decoration under running water, wipe and polish with a soft cloth.

In addition to the above methods of removing plaque from silver jewelry, which users call reliable and tested, there are quite a lot of very unexpected ways to clean this metal on the network.

For instance:

1. The method in which raw potatoes are used. 1 potato is rubbed on a fine-grater, squeeze the juice, in which the chain is soaked until the desired effect is obtained;
2. A method using a potato broth in which the decoration is “boiled” for half an hour;
3. The method in which the chain is placed in food foil, laid on the bottom of the pan and poured with hot broth from potatoes, leaving to act for 20 minutes;
4. The method using Coca-Cola, in which the chain is simply poured with a fresh drink and left for 1 hour in this state.

In the event that the chain has very serious impurities or if the owner of the jewelry does not trust home cleaning methods, he can always purchase one of professional cleansers for silver, which is offered in every jewelry store.

The manufacturer positions this tool as a safe and effective composition for quick cleaning of silver jewelry. Judging by customer reviews, this drug copes with its task at C grade. The cost of a bottle of 100 ml from 250 rubles to 500 rubles.

A solution that has a high acid composition, and therefore is able to clean the silver chain very quickly and efficiently. Use this composition with gloves, lower and remove the product with tweezers. The cost of 50 ml is about 60 rubles.

This tool is reusable, it cleans the jewelry literally within a minute, protects for a while from the appearance of plaque, as evidenced by customer reviews. The cost of 50 ml of the drug is approximately 64 rubles.

This drug cleanses not only black, but also green plaque from the surface of silver. Many users are satisfied with them, but they advise not to leave the chain in such a composition longer than half a minute.After cleaning, Leuchtturm creates an invisible protective film on the surface of the chain, thanks to which the radiant appearance of the jewelry is long preserved. It costs about 400 rubles per 250 ml.

Consumers rate this cleaning product quite high, it copes with pollution in 2-3 minutes without violating the integrity of the enamel inserts. The cost of 150 ml is approximately 350 rubles.

One of the effective ways to restore blackened silver jewelry is called the following:

1. We put the chain on a piece of food foil, sprinkle it with plenty of salt and wrap it in an “envelope”;
2. Pour a soap solution into the pan prepared from 1 teaspoon of any soap grated on a fine grater (it is best to take laundry soap) and 200 ml of water;
3. We spread the bundle with the chain in a soap solution;
4. Bring the solution to a boiling point, then reduce the heat and continue to boil for 15 minutes.
5. We remove the chain from the hot solution with tongs and leave it to cool completely;
6. We wash the cooled chain under running water, wipe and polish.

Sometimes a silver chain not only darkens, but also acquires a greenish tint. This effect gives a significant presence of copper in the silver alloy.

The usual means to cope with such a raid will not work, you have to either resort to a professional drug Leuchtturm made in Germany, either purchase a domestic product Trilon B

You can purchase these compounds in the numismatic departments, as they are widely used for cleaning coins. "Trilon B" is also sold in stores of companies engaged in the maintenance of heating systems, as it is used to wash radiators.

To clean silver from green deposits with the help of Trilon B, you must strictly follow the instructions:

1. We prepare a 10% solution in non-metallic dishes. In order to obtain a similar concentration, mix 10 g of powder and 100 ml of warm water;
2. Soak the chain for 15 minutes;
3. To extract the chain, we definitely use plastic tongs;
4. Remove the "greens" from the chain with a soft toothbrush;
5. Rinse the chain thoroughly, then dry it;
6. To give additional brightness and freshness to the decoration, wipe it with a napkin dipped in a solution of ammonia.

A few simple rules will help to use silver jewelry and keep them so so that they please the owners for many years:

• You should not dump all jewelry in one pile, since silver is the softest of jewelry metals, and if stored incorrectly, it is very quickly deformed, and chains break. According to the reviews of master jewelers, it is with the mechanical damage of silver products that the largest number of customers turn to them.
• It is advisable to purchase a special box with separate compartments for storing silver rings, bracelets and earrings. Silver chains need to be stored in cases. In extreme cases, you can use small plastic bags for storage.
• Avoid storing silver jewelry in places with high humidity, as this will lead to the rapid appearance of a dark coating. Either pack each jewelry in a plastic bag or in food foil, which will protect silver from humidity.

• Also, silver is adversely affected by high temperatures, so you should not wear chains and rings of silver in a hot summer at sea or store near heating appliances.
• Silver should not be stored in places that are constantly lit by the sun, as this will lead to a loss of metal shine.
• It is advisable to polish silver jewelry as often as possible with a soft microfiber cloth.

It is not advisable to allow darkening of the metal, requiring significant cleaning efforts.It is better to carry out preventive surface treatment with mild cleaning agents.

Jewelers are advised to wear silver jewelry as often as possible, as it is noted that This metal looks better, being constantly in use. With prolonged storage, it becomes dull and loses its wonderful shine.

See how to clean a silver chain in 5 minutes in the next video.