How to take care of jewelry in order to keep their excellent condition for a long time?

I’m almost certain you’ve seen a silver object (not necessary a piece of jewelry!) that took a dark gray-black matte color. It is important to know that this is not caused by dirt or dust, and I don’t even think this is due to a beauty flaw! But then what is it exactly and what can be done? We are looking for the answer to this in this blog post!

Why can silver discolor?

Be it any real silver object, it will discolor over time. And I have a good and a bad news. The good news is that it’s not your fault. It’s a reason of a completely natural process. The bad news is that there is nothing you can do to stop this process forever.

Silver is a precious metal that reacts with the sulfur in its environment, so when silver jewelry encounters it, a black layer is formed on it (silver sulfide). It is important that, unlike rust, it does not damage the material, it just forms a layer on it. You don’t have to worry about sulfur at all, it is completely harmless (in small dose) and occurs in countless places around us, even if we don’t know it. It’s in the air, in thermal water, or just among the ingredients in some cosmetic products. Of course, I don’t suggest you to rush to the bathroom right away and check out all of your creams, but I’ll give you a few tips later on how you can protect your loved silver jewelry from the effects of sulfur.

By the way, I think that sulfurization does not detract from the appearance of jewelry – in fact, it rather refines it. The transformation while wearing jewelry is an amazing process that makes them even more unique, but if someone doesn’t like it, it’s worth trying to keep the jewelry in its original condition.

Can I prevent the silver jewelry from blackening?

Well, yes and no. Since this is a completely natural process, let’s put it this way, it can be slowed down or by any chance it has already happened, can be corrected. This later is very important, as many people think that a discolored silver jewelry is no longer wearable and has a place in the bottom of a drawer – or worse, in the trash.

Here are some tips for keeping your jewelry in good condition:

• After getting home, take your jewelry off, and place it in a dry place protected from light so they can become less discolored from the sulfur content of the air. But of course don’t think of a panic room or a vault, a box or jewelry box in a dry place can be a fine storage for your Glatt Jewelry pieces.
• If you go to a thermal bath, do not wear your silver jewelry under any circumstances. Do you remember what I wrote about natural blackening? Sulfur water accelerates this process exponentially.
• Sometimes wipe your silver necklaces, rings, brooches or other jewelry with a specially designed jewelry cleaning cloth or even a silver cleaning liquid. In case of any orders from the Glatt Jewelry webshop, I include a special jewelry cleaning cloth in the package exactly for that purpose.
• If you are unable/could not comply with the above, consult a goldsmith who will professionally clean your favorite silver jewelry of dirt.

So blackening/graying is a completely natural process that you can slow down with the tips above. I believe that no matter what condition your original silver jewelry is, you can always be proud of your choice. If the shows the signs of aging, be proud, that it’s your faithful companion for such a long time; and if you prefer your jewelry to have the same shine as in the first days, then be proud that you have been able to preserve the original shine of it.