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AVOID TARNISHING - HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR JEWELRy
What is tarnishing?
You know when you take a piece of jewelry off and the skin it was hugging is green? That means that the metals in your jewelry are oxidizing. This chemical reaction caused by the air/ water/ environment is what leads to this monstrosity of a tarnish!
This is all about chemistry. Jewelry will tarnish depending on the base metal of each piece that you own or you’re considering purchasing. It’s truly a scientific conversation but to let you know the just of it, your jewelry tarnishes when the base metal comes into contact with:
Body oils/ sweat
Sulfur in the air
Acids
Exposure to UV light
This creates a chemical reaction that makes your jewelry darker in colour, peels off, and/ or rust.
How can we avoid tarnishing
Clear Nail Polish
I do not necessarily condone this, but I have seen people on Tik Tok suggest putting clear nail polish on their cheaper jewelry to add an additional layer to the piece to prolong its life. If you try this, please comment on your experience or send me a note via email to let me know of your experience with this method. With your insights, I can share another blog post
With everyone’s experiences and mine as well!
Dark Storage
When jewelry packaging tells you to keep your accessory in the case it came in, please listen! I did not and so many of my necklaces and bracelets were tarnished. On the same note, I bought the cutest diamond choker for my prom almost 6 years ago and because it was so special to me I kept it in a zip lock bag in my drawer and I can still wear it. The crazy part is that this necklace was so inexpensive. I probably spent more money on the jewelry that I tarnished. How did I manage to ruin so many necklaces? I put them on display. Hanging your jewelry and keeping it out only allows for them to oxidize with the air because they’re out for so long.
How to repair tarnished jewelry
Baking soda, salt, and aluminum foil.
Mix one tablespoon of baking soda, and a tablespoon of salt to one cup of warm water in a bowl covered with aluminum foil (shiny side to contact the water). Mix the potions together and let your jewelry sit. You should then see bubbles from the jewelry reacting to the foil. It’s a good thing, it’s cleaning it! After a couple of minutes, remove the jewelry, run it under cold water, and dry it with a microfibre towel. If using a regular towel be careful as it could cling to the clasps.
If you notice it’s not repairing after repeating this method once more, it may be time to retire the jewelry piece.
