We know that keeping your jewelry, especially your Sterling Silver jewelry, clean and tarnish free may seem like an impossible task, however, you can easily keep your Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry clean and prevent it from tarnishing with just a few easy steps.

Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry is meant to be worn, and doing so is the best way to prevent tarnish from building up, but please realize that tarnish is typically caused by things we do, or by things we wear. Therefore, by changing your habits a just a bit and adding our helpful tips to your routine, you can help to prevent tarnish from happening and keep your Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry looking like new for years to come.

First - DO NOT use any type of cleaner or soap on Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Mother of Pearl, Opals, Pearls, or Turquoise!! They are delicate and much softer than other gemstones, are much more vulnerable to acids and alkaline, and they can actually absorb chemicals and/or water causing permanent damage the stone, or change the stone's color forever. To clean these gems simply dampen a clean, soft cloth with luke warm water, wring out the excess water, then gently wipe down the surface of the stone(s) and dry completely with a soft cloth before storing safely as described below.

Second - leaving your Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry out in the open and exposed to air, light and chemicals is a major contributor to tarnish. With the exception of pure 24-karat Gold and pure Platinum, all precious metals will tarnish over time because they are alloyed with other metals such as Copper or Nickel to increase their strength and durability. It's always best to store your jewelry with an anti-tarnish tabs or strips and in some sort of an air tight container, such as the zip lock bag we ship all of our jewelry in, or in an air tight jewelry box AND out of direct light.

Third - BEFORE you put on any piece of jewelry be sure that any lotions, makeup, oils, or perfume that you've applied have completely soaked into your skin and that all hair products, especially hairspray has been applied previously and dried completely. When removing your Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry, it a good practice to take a few seconds to wipe it off with a soft cloth and then safely store it as described above. As a general rule, your jewelry should be the last thing you put on before leaving the house and the first thing you remove when you return home.

Fourth - avoid exposing your Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry to harsh household chemicals like acetone/nail polish remover, alcohol, ammonia, cleaning products, clorine bleach, clorinated water, detergents/laundry products, paint, turpentine, etc. Sterling Silver in particular is a soft metal, but exposing any of your Sterling Silver, Gold or Platinum jewelry to harsh chemicals may cause permanent damage. If your jewelry does come in contact with these chemicals, immediately rinse your jewelry thoroughly with luke warm water and dry it completely with a soft cloth.

Fifth - it's a good idea to take off your Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry, especially rings, when doing every day things like cleaning, washing your hands, doing the dishes, doing laundry, showering, gardening, etc. Doing so will help to prevent damage and will keep dirt and build up from accumulating - just be sure to place your jewelry in a safe spot, like in one of our Heart Shaped Cinnabar Boxes, Heart Shaped Angel Wings Trinket Boxes, or in a tea cup next to the sink.

Sixth - regularly clean your Sterling Silver, Gold and Platinum jewelry with a liquid jewelry cleaner which can be purchased from any jeweler. We personally use Windex to clean all of our jewelry on the recommendation of a jeweler friend of ours who told us years ago that's what they use on all of their jewelry and we have used it ever since. Just simply soak your jewelry in the cleaner or Windex for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly with luke warm water and dry with a soft cloth.

NOTE - Windex will NOT harm your Sterling Silver, Gold or Platinum jewelry and it makes your gemstones sparkle like new! AND if you ever have a ring stuck on your finger, just spray it with Windex and it will slide right off!

NOTE - DO NOT use any type of cleaner or soap on Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Mother of Pearl, Opals, Pearls, or Turquoise!! They are delicate and much softer than other gemstones, are much more vulnerable to acids and alkaline, and they can actually absorb chemicals and/or water causing permanent damage the stone, or change the stone's color forever. To clean these gems simply dampen a clean, soft cloth with luke warm water, wring out the excess water, then gently wipe down the surface of the stone(s) and dry completely with a soft cloth before storing safely as described above.

Seventh - cleaning your jewelry on a regular basis will help to keep it looking like new, but if there is extra build up, gently use the tiny brush included with the jewelry cleaner, or use a very soft bristled tooth brush to gently remove it. Be very careful around the mounting/prongs as to not loosen the setting and be sure to rinse your jewelry thoroughly with luke warm water, dry it completely with a soft cloth and then safely store it as described above.

Eighth - we DO NOT recommend using any type of ultra-sonic jewelry cleaners that use vibration, sonic, or high-intensity sound waves to clean any jewelry as they tend to damage gemstones and loosen the prongs and/or settings. If you feel that you can't safely remove any extra dirt or build up off yourself, just take the item to your trusted local jeweler and have them steam clean it. A good jeweler usually won't charge a dime for this service if you're a regular customer and they might just polish it up for free too!

If your Sterling Silver, Gold or Platinum jewelry does begin to show signs of tarnish, we recommend using a Sunshine Polishing Cloth (Item Number FM-151543). We've used them here in the shop for years and now offer them online to our customers. Using one couldn't be easier - simply and gently rub your Sterling Silver, Gold or Platinum jewelry with the cloth, then use a soft dry cloth to buff to a brilliant shine and you're done! Be careful to only rub the metal and not the gemstones as some are quite soft and may scratch.

NOTE - DO NOT use any type of cleaner or soap on Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Mother of Pearl, Opals, Pearls, or Turquoise!! They are delicate and much softer than other gemstones, are much more vulnerable to acids and alkaline, and they can actually absorb chemicals and/or water causing permanent damage the stone, or change the stone's color forever. To clean these gems simply dampen a clean, soft cloth with luke warm water, wring out the excess water, then gently wipe down the surface of the stone(s) and dry completely with a soft cloth before storing safely as described above.