Since time immemorial, women are drawn to adorning themselves with different jewellery pieces like earrings to make them more attractive. Today, women wear them not only for aesthetic reasons but also for expressing their personality and style. Those who are more conservative usually wear a simple stud earring, while those who are more daring wear bold designs or multiple pieces in each ear.
Earrings are commonly made using precious metals like silver and gold. While gold has always been a popular material, sterling silver is steadily gaining ground, especially since top luxury jewellers are expanding their silver collection.
If you have sterling silver earrings, you should exert effort to keep them in good condition. After all, the popularity of sterling silver is steadily increasing and will not waver anytime soon. To get you started, here are some helpful tips to keep your sterling silver earrings shiny and free from tarnish:
Store Them Properly
Before you retire to bed, make sure to remove your earrings so that you can give it a good cleaning before storing them. Use a soft dry cloth to wipe your jewellery until it shines. Once you are done, make sure to keep them in an airtight container to protect them from air and moisture. Keep in mind that these elements can ruin the shine and brilliance of your silver jewellery items.
Keep Them Dry
Understandably, you want to wear your earrings all the time because they look good on you. Nonetheless, it is crucial to know when to keep them on and when to take them off to keep their quality.
As a general rule, all silver jewellery articles should be kept dry. As such, you should always remove your earrings before taking a bath/shower, swimming in the beach or pool, or dipping in hot springs. The water normally contains chemicals and contaminants that tarnish and make your sterling earrings dull.
Wear Them Last
When you get ready in the morning before work or in the evening before a romantic date, make sure that you are done with your hair and make-up before you put your earrings on. The chemicals on your make-up, hairspray, and perfume can trigger a chemical reaction in the silver, causing it to tarnish and lose its lustre. Prevent this disaster from happening by making it a habit to wear your jewellery pieces just before leaving the house.
Clean Them Regularly
To prevent the dirt accumulation and bring back the silver’s natural lustre, you should make it a point to clean your earrings regularly. Stay away from synthetic cleaners that are heavily advertised online. Instead, choose a more natural cleaning method by using baking soda, aluminium foil, and water.
Line a bowl with aluminium foil and set it aside. Next, make a solution of water and baking soda and bring it to a boil. Place your earrings in the aluminium-lined bowl and carefully pour the piping hot water-baking soda solution into the dish.
Keep the earrings submerged for a couple of minutes, depending on the amount of dirt build-up. Remove the earrings and let them dry naturally.
Maintaining the quality and shine of your silver earrings is fairly easy, as seen in the above discussion. You do not need expensive cleaning supplies or complicated procedures to protect them from tarnish. All you need is commitment and a bit of time to carry out these care tips religiously.