How to care for 925 sterling silver: a guide to cleaning and storing it

925 sterling silver is an alloy made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. Pure silver is too soft to make jewelry you can wear every day; that small amount of copper makes it stronger without changing its color.

When silver turns black or yellowish, it doesn't mean it's poor quality. It's a natural reaction: silver reacts with sulfur in the air and forms a thin layer of silver sulfide on the surface. People often call it “oxidation,” but technically it's tarnish (sulfidation).

This process speeds up with:

The upside: that dark layer is only on the surface and comes off without damaging the piece.

Daily or weekly cleaning

After wearing your jewelry, wipe it with a soft cotton or microfiber cloth, or a silver polishing cloth. That way you remove sweat and lotion residue before it builds up. It's the simplest habit and the one that helps the most.

Warm water and mild soap

For a slightly deeper clean:

1. 1Fill a bowl with warm water and a few drops of mild soap.
2. 2Let the piece soak for 5–10 minutes.
   5 min timer
3. 3Gently scrub with a soft-bristled toothbrush, especially around engravings and little corners.
4. 4Rinse with clean water.
5. 5Dry it really well with a soft cloth. Never put it away damp.

Baking soda for tarnished silver

If the piece is already dark, mix baking soda with a little water to make a paste. Apply it with your fingers or a cloth, rub gently, rinse and dry. Don't scrub hard: baking soda is slightly abrasive.

Aluminum foil, baking soda and hot water

For heavily tarnished pieces without stones:

1. 1Line the bottom of a bowl with aluminum foil, shiny side up.
2. 2Add a tablespoon of baking soda and one of salt.
3. 3Pour in hot water, but not boiling.
4. 4Submerge the piece so it touches the foil for 2–5 minutes.
   2 min timer
5. 5Rinse and dry well.

Storing it well prevents most tarnish. Here are the keys:

• Little air and no humidity. Keep each piece in a small zip-lock bag or a cotton or anti-tarnish pouch. The less air, the slower it tarnishes.

• Separately. Keep each piece in its own compartment or pouch to avoid scratches and tangled chains.

• Away from the bathroom. Humidity and steam speed up tarnishing. A drawer or jewelry box in the bedroom is better.

• A bonus trick: add a piece of chalk or a small silica gel packet, like the ones that come in shoe boxes, to your jewelry box. They absorb moisture.

• No unlined wood or cardboard. Some materials release compounds that tarnish silver. If your jewelry box is wooden, make sure it's lined with fabric.

• Only when it's dry. Always put your silver away clean and completely dry.

And day to day?

• ✦Put your jewelry on last, after perfume, lotion and makeup.
• ✦Take it off to shower, go to the pool or the beach, work out or clean the house.
• ✦And wear it: contact with your skin and the cloth help keep it shiny.

• Using toothpaste. It's a really popular trick, but it's abrasive and can scratch the surface.

• Bleach, ammonia or harsh products. They damage silver and can ruin stones and finishes.

• Scrubbing with scouring pads or paper towels. They leave micro-scratches that dull the shine.

• Storing it damp. It's the fastest way to make it tarnish.

• Leaving it in the bathroom. Shower steam affects it every single day.

• Storing all your jewelry together. Pieces scratch each other and chains get tangled.

• Submerging pieces with stones or aged details. Better to clean them with a cloth only.