HVNLY NIGHTS - Silver Care Tips - Non Piercing Body Jewelry

Sterling silver is not as hard to care for as some people try to make it seem. Yes, it does tarnish, and yes, it can loose its luster. However, it takes no effort at all to properly care for sterling silver jewelry to help prevent or postpone these 'disastrous' events. And should you start to see a little tarnish, it is very easy to clean off.

On the other hand, a little tarnish can make some items look better. Allowing the grooves in silver to get a little dark makes etched and stamped patterns easier to see. Many designers use a special chemical to speed up tarnishing as part of the design process, either to add an antique look to the piece, or to accentuate details. Be careful when you clean your jewelry not to take this off too.

Storing Your Jewelry

Tarnish on silver comes from the metal reacting with oxygen, sulfers and pollutants in the air. Several factors determine how fast silver will tarnish.

A more humid enviroment will encourage silver to tarnish faster, so a pair of Nipple Rings will get dark faster in Florida than they will in Arizona. It is always best to keep your jewelry stored away when you are not wearing it.

Wearing your jewelry frequently helps to slow the oxidation processing, keeping it looking newer, longer.

How you store your jewelry will also determine how much tarnish it will collect. Silver left out in the open will tarnish faster than silver stored away.

Hanging your jewelry on a necklace tree may help things from getting tangled, but it offers no protection against tarnish.
Keeping it in a jewlery box helps keep it out of the circulating air.
Storing it in a zip lock bag with all the air squeezed out is even better. Pearls & opals need to breath, so a cloth bag or jewelry box is better for them.
You can put an anti-tarnish tab in the jewelry box or plastic bag to help fight against tarnish. Be sure to exchange it for a fresh one about every 6 months.
Using a jewelry box with anti-tarnish lining provides the best practical protection against tarnish.
With the exception of pearls & opals, for pieces that you rarely wear (like heirlooms or very expensive items), sealing them in a bag with a vaccuum sealer (like the Tilia brand food sealers you can get at WalMart & Target) will provide the best long-term protection. You can even put in an anti-tarnish tab if you want. (even though you can wash and reuse them, we don't recommend using the same bags for your jewelry that have been used for food)

Anti-tarnish tabs are little squares or strips of paper that are impregnanted with materials that help to neutralise the tarnish-creating agents in the air. A 1"x1" square is fine for small presentation boxes or zip lock bags. For jewelry chests, 1 or 2 squares in each compartment is best. These are very thin strips, and how long they last is dependant on how long they are exposed to the air, usually up to about 6 months once they are taken out of their sealed package.

There are jewelry boxes, chests & armoirs that also help fight against tarnish. They are put together with a special lining that is made with tarnish-preventing agents. Depnding on which brand of cloth is used, we have seen them advertised to prevent tarnish for 25 to 60 years, with proper care and use.

Basic Care of Your Jewelry

Store your jewelry separately from each other to avoid scratches. Jewelry chests and armoirs provide lots of individual spaces for this. Little plastic or cloth bags also work well.

Store your jewelry away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures (like next to the AC or heating vent).

Apply make-up, hair spray/gel, lotions and perfumes before putting on your jewelry.

You don't want to wear your jewelry swimming - this includes the ocean, pools, hot tubs, hot springs, and most lakes & ponds. Salt water, chlorine, high heat & most chemicals can damage the metals and discolor some gems.

Take off rings and bracelets when cleaning with chemicals and washing dishes.

Give your jewelry a quick wipe with a soft cloth after each wearing to help prevent the build up of dirt and oils.

Cleaning Your Jewelry

Cleaning your jewelry is not a difficult or expensive adventure. Because most people tend to stick to their favorite preferences, it is most likely that you will have only a few kinds of stones in your jewelry box, so you only need one or maybe two different kinds of cleaners. Check out the jewelry department of any local 'mega-mart' and you will probably find everything you could want for your jewelry cleaning needs.

First and foremost, know what type of cleaners to use for each piece of jewelry. There are many cleaners made for sterling silver, make sure you read the manufacturers recommendations for each one to see which is best for each piece in your collection of jewelry.

Most cleaners & polishes made for silverwear and household items are not suitable for jewlery with any type of gemstone, crystal, glass or other accents.

Cloths & cleaners made for jewlery are usually safe on hard stones. They usually caution against use on soft or porous stones, such as turquoise, coral, opal, etc.

Pearls are the most delicate and require the most care when choosing a cleaner. You can find special pearl cleaners with the other jewelry cleaners.

Second most important is to read and follow the manufacturers directions for use.

Give your jewelry a quick wipe with a soft cloth after each wearing to help prevent the build up of dirt and oils. Anything worn on or around the genitals, or that have come in contact with bodily fluids (like clit caressers or cock cirlcets) should be washed with a gentle soap (like dish soap) and dried with a soft cloth after each wearing.

You should frequently give your jewelry a quick cleaning with a gentle soap and dry it with a soft cloth. Do not use paper towels or tissues.

We use Connoisseurs dry disposable wipes to give all our jewelry a quick shine every so often. Jewelers cloths and rouge cloths will also work. This helps to remove any build up, and leaves a light anti-tarnish shield.

For items with excessive grime and tarnish, a dip in an appropriate solution or gel will help to loosen the build up. Make sure you thoroughly rinse and dry the piece or the cleaner will leave hard, crusty deposits that are very difficult to get off. Then you can polish the piece with a cloth. Arabesque uses a solution called Hagerty's that they like, but we have not been able to find it inlocal stores.

We have not had very good results with home sonic baths, although professional sonic baths can do wonders.

For items with more than one type of material, take the time to give them a little extra care. Clean the whole piece with a product recommended for the most delicate parts of the item. If you are able, you can then use a dry wipe to clean just the silver and hard gemstones. Then rinse the piece with warm water and dry with a soft cloth, to make sure no cleaning agents are left. It is not a good idea to try to remove stones from their settings - that is best left to professionals.

For items that can not be so easily cleaned with cleaners & polishes, make you sure wash them with a gentle soap frequently, and have them professionally cleaned when needed. A jeweler will have better materials to clean with, and will be able separate the delicate stones from the rest of jewelry without harming anything.