How can I clean a sterling silver charm bracelet which is turning brown and orange?
A. There are several ways you can clean your sterling silver bracelet and remove the tarnish. These stains are normal on silver, and are a result of the silver reacting with the air. But you don’t have to live with tarnish on your jewelry if you don’t want to!
The absolute best way to keep your sterling silver free of tarnish is to WEAR IT! Silver that is used regularly, whether it be a charm bracelet or a teapot, will not tarnish because it won’t have a chance to build up. I have a sterling silver necklace that I wear constantly, and it never needs cleaning.
But if you have badly tarnished jewelry that looks bad, you can use a variety of techniques to clean it up.
The drastic dip method: One method is to dip the piece in a cleaner like Tarnex, which will strip off the tarnish with little or no scrubbing or rubbing. While it gets the job done quickly, this is a harsh toxic chemical and you need to follow the label instructions and precautions carefully. You’ll end up with brilliantly clean silver, almost too clean because I think it looks fake if there isn’t a bit of “age” on a silver piece. Tarnex and other dips are readily available at supermarkets and home centers. Warning: don’t do this with silver plate – you might get away with it once, but the second time it will strip the silver off and just leave the base metal!
Gentle brush/rub off method: There are many products available use on your jewelry that will remove tarnish without the risk of the dip method. There are silver polish lotions and creams that are easy to find at supermarkets, home centers, or jewelry stores (most expensive option). You put some of the product on a soft cloth and rub into the silver. As you work the cloth around the piece, you can control how much tarnish to remove. If you want to get into niches and crevices, use a soft toothbrush – a baby toothbrush is best. But many silver enthusiasts actually cultivate the dark tarnish in the crevices, as it gives the piece depth and beauty and provides a lovely contrast to the shiny silver next to it.
You can also buy pre-treated jewelry care cloth that is ready to use right out of the package. This is the gentlest method to use and works best on lightly tarnished pieces, or for touch-up cleaning. My favorite product is called Sunshine Cloth and it is absolutely the best.
High-tech cleaning: This is the high tech version of the dip method, and it uses an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner to gently remove tarnish. The machine is filled with a special cleaning solution that is much gentler than harsh dips, and ultrasound waves do the work. This is the most expensive method, as good quality machines can run $100 or more, although you should be able to find some deals on eBay through this link. Personally, I love the idea but my vote is still out on these machines. I’ve only had moderate luck with mine, although my jewelry-making sister (who has the exact same machine!) just loves hers.
Whatever you do, do NOT use these products or techniques on costume jewelry! Fine metals like gold, silver, platinum will do fine, and you can even use these on copper pieces. And once you’ve cleaned your silver jewelry, if you can’t wear it all the time then put it in a zip-loc plastic bag, squeeze all the air out, and seal until the next time you want to wear it. Remember, it is exposure to plain old air that causes tarnish!
September 6th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
I think Gentle Brushing technique is followed by many since not everyone are aware about Tarnex and the machine is way too expensive. Wearing it daily helps but if you were cleaning up your house and suddenly found a lost silver necklace or ring, you can clean it slightly with brush and lotions. Still if it doesn’t gets cleaned to the quality you want, you can try the hardcore method lol but as stated above, it’s dangerous as well, there’s not much fun playing with chemicals.