Caring for your silver jewellery

All that glitters may be gold, but sometimes you just can't beat the style of silver. So don't you want to look after your silver jewellery? Care for it properly and you'll have beautiful pieces that will last a lifetime and beyond, so here are a few top tips to ensure that your sterling silver jewellery retains its sparkle:

• Don't leave it languishing in your jewellery box. Your jewellery deserves to be worn with pride, and surprisingly wearing it often can prevent tarnish from setting in as the oxidisation process will be slowed down.
• Don't let your jewellery come into contact with household chemicals, hairspray, cosmetics, perfumes or direct sunlight. Silver is a natural material and can react with the environment just like any other, so make sure to put your jewellery on after you've applied your makeup, perfume and hairspray and always take it off to clean the house or sunbathe.
• Store it carefully. Your jewellery should always be stored away carefully when not in use, ideally in separate polythene bags or in a jewellery box lined with "tarnish free" material.
• Make sure to clean it regularly. A great way to prevent your sterling silver jewellery from tarnishing is to clean it-all you need to do is get a jewellery polishing cloth (these can easily be bought from the supermarket) and carefully clean your pieces on a regular basis, with the cleaning chemicals included in the cloth giving your jewellery a beautiful shine whilst removing oils, fingerprints and dust to keep it pristine.
• If tarnish has set in, take it to the professionals. Tarnish can easily set in and in the early stages it can be easily removed by thoroughly cleaning your jewellery at home, but if it's gone too far you'll have to get it professionally cleaned to bring it back to its former glory.

As you can see, caring for your silver jewellery doesn't have to be difficult, so bear in mind a few best practice guidelines and you'll be able to enjoy your stunning jewellery for years to come.