How To Keep Sterling Silver Looking Beautiful

The addition of our beautiful new David Tishbi jewelry collection to Apples of Gold has introduced a new precious metal to our site: fine sterling silver. Before adding this line we offered our customers lovely gold, platinum and titanium jewelry, and we are very excited to now also offer handmade, solid sterling silver jewelry at fantastic prices.

Since sterling silver has become a part of our precious metal family, we have created a simple guide to keeping sterling silver looking beautiful and new. If you haven’t already, check out our article detailing the Top Four Ways to Keep Gold Looking Great; a must-read for gold jewelry lovers. Without further ado, here is our list of ways to keep sterling silver jewelry looking like new:

1. Regularly Clean Sterling Silver with a Mild Cleanser

To create a mild cleanser, mix one pump of a mild liquid soap with a cup of warm water. Allow your sterling silver jewelry to soak in the solution for a few minutes, then rinse off and polish with a soft cloth. Clean sterling silver gently using this method about once a month to keep tarnish at bay.

2. Sterling Silver Cleaning Methods to Avoid

Though some sites will advise scrubbing your sterling silver with a toothbrush and toothpaste, this can permanently dull and scratch your jewelry. Avoid using abrasives whenever possible to keep sterling silver’s smooth, shiny surface.

Though ultrasonic jewelry cleaners made for sterling silver are a great option for solid sterling silver (like David Tishbi’s solid sterling LOVE ring, shown at top),  it should not be used with sterling silver jewelry that also has a gemstone.

Gemstone jewelry, like our lovely smoky quartz and sterling silver ring (seen at right), can be forever damaged in an ultrasonic cleaner. For sterling silver jewelry with gemstones, simply clean with a mild cleanser and a cloth, as discussed in Tip #1.

3. How to Prevent & Remove Tarnish on your Sterling Silver Jewelry

Jewelry tarnishes thanks to contact with air, and tarnish can build up quite a bit on jewelry that is rarely worn. First and foremost, you can prevent tarnish buildup by wearing your jewelry regularly and storing it in an airtight container or bag.

However, once your jewelry has tarnished it is necessary to clean it as soon as you notice the tarnish for best removal. Many hardware and grocery stores carry a paste specifically formulated to remove tarnish on sterling silver.

4. Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Finally, keep your sterling silver jewelry looking great by avoiding exposure to harsh chemicals. Household cleaners, detergent, and even beauty products like hairspray and shampoo can deteriorate your silver jewelry. Remember to remove sterling silver items when swimming as well, since chlorine can permanently damage the beautiful shiny finish.

Now that you know how to take care of a fine piece of sterling silver jewelry, check out our brand new selection of modern, eclectic pieces from David Tishbi. His cutting edge designs include a mix of precious metals, namely sterling silver and solid gold. We love his triple knot sterling silver ring with solid 14k yellow gold accent (above left),  as well as the beveled globe smoky quartz ring in sterling silver (at right).
If you adore modern, stylish sterling silver jewelry, be sure to check out the other exciting pieces in his collection as well.

Jewelry Hallmark Guide

If you own a piece of precious metal jewelry, you have likely noticed a small stamp on a hidden part of the ring, necklace, bracelet or earring. These stamps are known as a jewelry hallmark, and appear on almost all precious metal jewelry. Jewelry hallmarking can give you clues as to the jewelry’s country of origin, metal content, purity, and the name – or initials – of the maker.

European Hallmarks

Hallmarking has a long and illustrious history that began in Europe during the 14th century. English and French jewelers in particular hallmarked their jewelry with elaborate designs and animal symbols to denote the origin of the jewelry, the metal, the purity, and the maker. Though intricate and lovely, the European hallmarks can be tough to decipher and are easily misinterpreted by a novice. Luckily for Americans, the U.S. jewelry hallmarking system is much easier to read.

American Hallmarks

Though many countries require jewelers to hallmark their precious metal jewelry, the United States interestingly does not. Yet despite the absence of a law mandating hallmarking, most U.S. fine jewelry does indeed come stamped to assure the purchaser of the quality of the metal. Since the purity of the metal is a major indicator of the jewelry’s value, many jewelry buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a piece that is hallmarked. However, it is important to note that a hallmark can also give a buyer a false sense of security since it is not tightly regulated in the U.S. Unscrupulous jewelers or street vendors can create their own hallmark to pass off poor quality jewelry as quality pieces. The most important factor is always to buy from a reputable jeweler.

Here is a quick rundown of the most common jewelry hallmarks that indicate the metal and purity:

U.S. Platinum Jewelry Hallmarks

Plat - A platinum ring marked with Plat or 950 Plat is considered nearly pure platinum (95% platinum) and is therefore quite expensive. 950 is the highest grade of platinum available for jewelry.

IridPlat - Platinum rings with this hallmark are 90% pure platinum with 10% other metals mixed in. These rings, also often marked with .90 Plat, cost less than their purer platinum counterpart above.

U.S. Gold Jewelry Hallmarks

10k - 10 karat gold is the lowest karat gold, and is composed of 10 parts gold to 14 parts other metals. 10 karat gold costs much less than higher gold purities.

14k - 14 karat gold is one of the most popular gold purities for gold jewelry. 14 karat gold is composed of 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals.

18k - 18 karat gold is very high quality gold, and is composed of 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals.

24k - 24 karat gold is pure gold, and is the most expensive and most malleable gold composition. The addition of other metals to gold makes it stronger and more durable, since 24 karat gold is quite soft and is easily dented, dinged and bent.

U.S. Silver Jewelry Hallmarks

900 - The 900 stamp on silver denotes that the metal is 9 parts pure silver and one part alloy metal. This stamp was used mainly on silver coins and is not commonly used on jewelry in modern times.
925 - 925 is the hallmark stamp for sterling silver. This is the most common hallmark seen on silver jewelry, and means that the jewelry is composed of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals. Sterling silver is the highest quality silver used in jewelry, since pure silver is much too malleable to be worn on a daily basis.

Apples of Gold carries a wide variety of precious metal jewelry in different purities. This allows customers to choose the right gold karat for their taste and budget.  Check out our selection of beautiful gold and platinum wedding bands, earrings, bracelets and necklaces at Apples of Gold.com.