HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR
STERLING SILVER JEWELRY
by J.Louie, owner hART Sense Design, Rapid City, SD [email protected] http://www.hartsd.com
If you love SouthWestern style of clothing, I would dare guess you like, wear, and have in your stash at least a few pieces of sterling silver jewelry. I would also dare guess you are tired of dealing with tarnish, and would be happy to learn how to, if not prevent it, then at least minimize it to a manageable level.
In order to understand how to care for your sterling silver you first must know what sterling silver is. You have probably seen the 925 stamp on some of your silver pieces and have learned that the number marks sterling silver. But what does that number actually mean? Number 925 signifies the silver component in the sterling silver alloy: 92.5% by mass in the alloy is silver. That leaves us with a remainder of 7.5% by mass. So, what goes into those remaining 7.5%? It can be a few other metals, but most commonly, one of them is copper, and if you are looking to put blame for tarnish on someone or something, copper is your culprit. So, why not use pure silver then? The reason is simple: 99.9% silver is way too soft for producing functional objects. Copper is added to increase strength. In more recent years, a new brand of silver entered the market - Argentium silver. Argentium is 96% silver by mass, with the amount of copper balanced with germanium in order to combat tarnish. Even though you may hear Argentium advertised as 'non-tarnishing silver,' it is not completely immune to tarnish. However, the color of tarnish developing on Argentium is much, much lighter, rendering it practically unnoticeable. Although Argentium silver has made some inroads in the jewelry industry, its price compared to sterling silver as well as limited availability of different forms the metal comes in (e.g. sheet of different gauges and different gauge wire, appropriate solder, cleaners, polishes, etc.) has made it rather impractical for small and independent jewelry makers to use Argentium. Add to that the fact that a lot of SouthWestern jewelry on the market these days is vintage Native American made, and you will understand why sterling silver is still the most common metal you will see used in the styles you like.
Now that you know some facts about sterling silver, it's time to show you how to properly care for it.