Reviving the Sparkle: A short Step-by-Step Guide to polishing your tarnished Silver jewellery
At some point in our lives I'm sure we have all rediscovered a forgotten pair of earrings at the back of our jewellery box, and after the initial excitement of having a new piece of jewellery to wear again, there's the realisation that it's not as sparkly as it once was and is going to need a clean... Ugh!
Not to worry though, Silver is really quick and easy to get sparkling again, so I've put some tips below to help you polish your tarnished silver jewellery and get it looking like new again!
I re-discovered these old favourites (the original rough prototypes of my hollow pebble studs) that I'd not worn since my son was born - I recently decided to brave his tiny curious hands to try and enjoy wearing earrings again, which I'm happy to say was (surprisingly) successful!
They were looking rather worse for wear though - almost entirely black with tarnish - so I gave them some much needed TLC and documented the progress as I went.
Sterling Silver naturally tarnishes over time, as a reaction with the oxygen and moisture in the air. The more you wear your jewellery on a regular basis, the less it will tarnish as the oils in your skin and the movement against you and your clothes will help keep it polished.
But if for any reason your jewellery does get tarnished, the easiest and safest way to clean it is with a silver polishing cloth. I include a small cloth with all my orders of silver jewellery, but they can also be bought inexpensively online from companies such as Town Talk and Goddards or even from your local supermarket. The cloth is soft so it won't scratch the metal, and is impregnated with a special chemical to clean the tarnish away - so don't ever wash the cloth!
How to polish tarnished silver jewellery
As you start to gently rub the item with the polishing cloth you will see it turn black - this is perfectly normal and just the tarnish being removed from the silver. You can continue to use it until it is entirely black. Try to get the cloth into any little crevices or corners as best you can.
It won't take long before you can see the transformation and your silver should be lovely and sparkling again!
Once you've finished, wash in warm soapy water, then rinse and dry to remove any chemical residue, and your jewellery is now ready to wear and enjoy once again!
How to remove stubborn tarnish from silver
If the tarnish on your silver is more established, you might find a dry polishing cloth won't remove it.
In this instance, you will need to use a tiny dab of Silvo liquid on a soft cloth (soft yellow duster or microfibre cloth), or a tiny amount of Silvo wadding, and follow the steps below:
Take a tiny piece of Silvo wadding (or a very small dab of Silvo liquid on a soft cloth) and rub it over the silver to lift the tarnish.
Be mindful of the more delicate jewellery components if there are any (like earwires), so that they are not damaged or bent out of shape.
You will notice a black residue appear on both your fingers and the metal - this is normal and means it is working!
Wash off any excess Silvo in warm soapy water then rinse and dry your jewellery thoroughly with a soft, lint-free cloth, and give a gentle buff to shine.
Enjoy your sparkling clean jewellery again!
It is remarkable how quick & easy - and satisfying - it is to polish tarnished silver and restore it to it's original gleam. I urge you to give it a go and marvel at the transformation!
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