Sterling Memorial Jewelry - Do You Know How to Care for It?

The usage of silver in jewelry making started from time immemorial when there was a time when it was quite difficult to find pure silver. However, the exploration of silver in western hemisphere played a pivotal role in increasing the supply of this metal. As a result, silver was mined and massively used by people all over the world. Pure silver is quite soft and it is impossible to create some nice and durable jewelry from it. Therefore it is usually mixed up with other metals and this is how its strength is enhanced. The most famous silver mixture is called sterling silver and is primarily used in making sterling memorial jewelry.

The sterling memorial jewelry is in high demand these days because they are quite easy to keep. You can increase the life span of your sterling memorial jewelry by following some easy guidelines. All you need to do is to keep it sparkling and tarnish free. The products that are used in the cleaning process are readily available from the market and are commonly used by the silversmiths. If you are unable to find it in the local market, you can seek assistance from any reputable jeweler and he will recommend the shop to you.

For cleaning sterling memorial jewelry, you should use nothing but a soft hundred percent cotton cloth or flannel and try to rub off the dirt gently. You must keep it in mind that silver is a very soft material and you can scratch it if you are not careful when rubbing. You are not supposed to rub it briskly. A soft brush, usually baby's toothbrush can also be used for the cleaning purpose. For best results, it is better to avoid using polyester, coarse fabrics or even paper because they generally contain synthetics or wood fibers that can easily cause tiny scratches on the sterling memorial jewelry. Similarly, dirt left over from the last cleaning session can also scratch the surface therefore you need to be extra cautious in this regard.

There are many people who clean the sterling memorial jewelry with different types of cleaners. If you feel that there is light dirt or just fingerprints on the jewelry, you can simply use a small amount of mild liquid detergent, add it in a half cup of water and apply it gently on the jewelry. Later you can rinse it with fresh water. You must ensure that the liquid detergent you are planning to use is not a harsh one. Otherwise, it may damage the stones and the polish.

The jewelry should be properly dried before you store it. An air tight zip lock bag is ideal for storing such type of jewelry. Specific polishing cloth is readily available in the market that is used for light cleaning purpose. However, there are some who simply use a cotton t-shirt to get the work done. In case you think that you will be dealing with some great deal of tarnish and that polishing cloth will not yield positive results, you will need a silver polish spray and a silver paste cleaner for deeper cleaning.