How To Clean & Prevent Tarnished Jewellery

Tarnishing is an unfortunate process that everyone will encounter when working with metals. It affects copper, brass, silver, aluminium, and magnesium to name a few. As part of a natural chemical reaction it can't be avoided, but there are ways to help prevent the process or to revitalise your metals if they become affected. 

Keep reading and we'll try to help you keep your jewellery sparkling no matter what!

What is tarnishing, and why does it happen?

Tarnishing is completely natural, and a part of the chemical makeup of these metals, so don't worry, you're not doing anything wrong! As your metals react to chemicals such as oxygen and sulphur the metals undergo a process known as oxidisation. Silver is especially reactive to the sulphur and this reaction is what causes the dreaded Tarnish. It will affect your silver in varying degrees, starting with a dullness or a slight golden colour, eventually resulting in a black coating on the metal.

Sulphur is found naturally in the air, but can also be transferred by direct contact, as it's produced by our bodies to fight bacteria. Depending on the environment your silver is stored, it will become tarnished at varying speeds, so be careful where you choose to keep your jewellery, and how often you handle it. If the air in the room could be subjected to chemicals or gases, such as a hair salon or near a natural spring, silver will react much faster than if it is kept sealed away, untouched in a cabinet in an unused room. There are many chemicals you may not have even thought about that your silver could react with: Something as simple as eggs contain sulphur, and hairspray or perfume could make your bedroom sideboard a bad choice, your own body can also produce varying degrees of sulphur, and wearing jewellery whilst doing the washing means that bleach will tarnish your jewellery very fast. Over time, these seemingly tiny things will eventually add up and tarnish your favourite silver items!

Silver Cleaning Cloths

Our range of polishing cloths are perfect to keep your jewellery clean and sparkling. These cotton cloths are impregnated with a unique cleaning and anti-tarnishing agent.

They are so easy to use; no mess and no fuss, just a simple gentle rub will keep your jewellery looking clean and bright.

Silver Dip

A liquid dip that dissolves oxidation on silver jewellery, supplied in a tub with a fitted basket. Simply add the items to the basket and lower into the Silver Sparkle Dip. Gently agitate the basket once submerged, ensuring you don't spill any. You can then lift the basket to check on the dip's effectiveness. When you are happy with the results, likely around the 2-minute mark, remove the items and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Dry your metal items thoroughly and buff further with cleaning cloth if a high shine is needed. This dip is not advised for pieces with soft stones as it could discolour them or the acid could attack the stone and ruin it, so be especially careful with stones such as opals, corals, pearls, and turquoise. Not suitable for plated jewellery. Suitable for smaller pieces, as the size of your piece is restricted by the size of the tub you buy. 

Town Talk Esquisite Jewel Sparkle Wand

This handbag sized jewel sparkle wand will gently clean your jewellery and remove small particles of ingrained dirt leaving your precious jewellery sparkling! It comes with full instructions and also a microfibre cloth for that final polish. It's gentle enough to use on your gold, platinum and silver jewellery that is set with precious gemstones such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

Grip Seal Bags

These re-sealable and reusable clear grip seal polythene bags are essential for storing beads and findings as well as finished items of jewellery. Unlike many plastics, these bags do not contain any sulphur which means items stored in these bags are less prone to tarnish!

Anti-Tarnish Papers

These special anti-tarnish papers absorb sulphides and other pollutants than could otherwise tarnish your jewellery. Simply leave them nearby, and they will stop tarnish from developing on your jewellery, as it will be attracted to the paper instead. Each strip is 17.5 x 5cm and can be cut down to size. If you keep your jewellery in a jewellery box or a specific display case you can cut the strips down to size to fit. Please keep in mind, the anti-tarnish papers will work best when with your jewellery in an airtight box or bag. Each strip will protect once cubic foot of space for 6 months so they are very economical. Completely safe and non-toxic they do not emit any fumes or leave any residue. Sold in packs of 5 or 20.

Renaissance Wax

Renaissance wax provides great protection from oxidisation and has been in use since the 1950's by the British Museum and research laboratories specifically for the conservation and preservation of precious and priceless items.

It is PH-neutral and will not damage even sensitive materials, so can be used on metal and stones alike and will not discolour at all. The wax film is completely clear and remains that way, so it will not change the finish of the piece you're coating. If you apply a thin coat of wax and then buff it up, you can leave a fantastic shine on your items.

It can be used to protect tools from rusting and even give a moisture resistant finish to any object. Renaissance Wax is so versatile, it can even be used on paper, photos and various other items and will not darken or stain - we were intrigued by this claim so tried it ourselves, we tried it on untreated wood, paper with pencil and pen and some opals which are renowned for absorbing water and changing colour and we were pleasantly surprised there was no lasting visual change to any of the items we tested! The paper appeared darker when the wax was applied but within minutes it was back to its original colour, we then dripped water over the paper and it beaded and run off... amazing!

Over time this wax will wear, so it is recommended that you re-apply as necessary. 

Midas Finish Seal Lacquer

This is a water based acrylic lacquer specifically designed for finishing and sealing metals. A clear, non-yellowing liquid that can be applied in various ways depending on the piece you want to coat. It can be used neat or diluted depending on the level of protection you want. A thin layer could be painted on with a small paintbrush or even applied by dipping your jewellery into a diluted solution. As the Midas finish Seal Lacquer forms a seal over the piece it will protect any patina you have created on the surface, preventing any further oxidisation to a clean surface or change to existing designs.

If you're dipping your jewellery, please remember to protect your work surface, and ensure you have an area set up to hang them to dry, shaking off any excess to avoid dripping. The drying process only takes 10 minutes, but can be further sped up with a hairdryer. We do recommend practising on a smaller item first.

You can also apply a few further coats for protection against scratching and wearing of plating. As this is a lacquer it will form a hard coating that will help protect against fine scratches. Coating rings, bracelets and necklaces can give some protection from the fine scratches normally accumulated through everyday wear. As this lacquer is worn you must re-apply as necessary to ensure constant protection.

This lacquer also prevents your jewellery from reacting with your skin, and vice versa - forming a shield to protect you from any allergic reactions with metals, and stopping the metal reacting with you, which will stop any green or black marks on your skin from certain metals.