How to care for your Sterling Silver jewelry?

Your fourseven jewelry is made in sterling silver, a beautiful metal that will last for generations with proper care. You only need to take some preventive measures along with occasional polishing to always keep it looking as good as new.

First and foremost, remember how your jewelry looks when you first receive it. Some silver jewelry has been oxidized to give it a slightly ‘antiqued’ look. This should not be confused with silver that has tarnished due to exposure to air, excessive heat, or pollutants.

Many of our fourseven charms and charm holders (such as necklaces, bracelets and anklets) are oxidized and will have certain areas that appear black in order to deepen the character of the charm. Using strong solvents on these could erode the oxidization and impact the overall appearance of the charm. For your charms, especially, please follow the below tips and use a delicate hand when cleaning them with a soft cloth as needed.

To prevent tarnish, follow these tips:

• Store your jewelry in a cool, dry place. Silver tarnishes when exposed to air, so it’s a good idea to keep your silver in airtight zip lock plastic bags, or covered in a cloth enclosed in an airtight container when not in use. This will help slow down the tarnishing process and protect your jewelry from scratching. Also, keep it separately from your other accessories as silver jewelry gets scratched easily.
• Remove your jewelry when cleaning, swimming and taking a shower. Always remove your jewelry before using any product that contains bleach, ammonia, alcohol, fingernail polish removers that contain acetone, and turpentine. Some of these can cause a breakdown in the metal alloys leaving your jewelry beyond repair.
• Remove your jewelry when sleeping. Movement during sleep can also cause stress or scratches.

To clean your jewelry, try these tips:

• Clean after every use. After every use clean your jewelry with a soft cloth to remove the oil and grime that would have stuck to it from the skingrime it could have been exposed to throughout the day.
• Use a professional jewelry polishing cloth. The best way to clean your jewelry is with a professional jewelry polishing cloth. The cloth is treated with cleaning chemicals and not only will the cloth last a long time; it will give you an amazing shine each and every time. Rub gently in a lengthwise motion. Be careful not to pull hard on any joints or clasps as they could get damaged during cleaning.
• Use hot water and baking soda. If you find you need more than a polishing cloth, another simple way to clean your silver jewelry is to fill an aluminum pan with really hot (but not boiling) tap water. Add about 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir a bit. Add your jewelry and let soak for 10 minutes. Use a soft brush to to scrub away the tarnish that has accumulated. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Please note that it is not advisable to use this method on jewelry with stones or plating as damage could occur.
• Never use toothpaste to clean silver jewelryjewelry, as it is very abrasive.
• Never dip any silver jewelry in ‘dip’ solutions or commercial cleaning solutions even though it may say that it is for silver jewelry. Dip cleaners will work the first few times, but after that, the silver jewelry may change color and will never look the same.

If the scratches are too deep or the oxidation process has happened over a long period of time, consider having it cleaned and polished by a professional jeweler once. Then you can follow the above steps regularly.