With three simple household products, distilled water, aluminum foil, and baking soda, you can restore your silver to its pre-oxidized condition. After you've cleaned the silver, store it with desiccating packets and wash it by hand to prevent future oxidization.
In general, oxidized silver jewelry should not be cleaned with jewelry cleaning dips or aggressive polishing that will strip the blackened surface. If cleaning is necessary, use mild dish detergent and soft toothbrush with as little rubbing as possible. The oxidized finish of jewelry can be restored at any time.
Oxidation on silver can be cleaned off with lemon juice and baking soda, and there are commercial silver polishes on the market. Rust, on the other hand is going to take more work. You can remove it (with sufficient elbow grease) but you will probably have to have that piece re-plated.
Restoring Your Silver
Baking Soda Paste: A mix of baking soda and water applied with a cloth can remove the tarnish.
Best Overall: Aluminum Foil, Baking Soda & Hot Water
"You just dump it in the sink and let it soak and it does a darn good job of getting even heavily oxidized tarnish off if you leave it long enough... Then you just give it a good rinse."
While pure silver is not likely to tarnish, the copper and other base metals in sterling silver alloys can react with sulphur in the air. This leads to a natural chemical reaction which creates the black, blue, or green residue on the surface of your silver.
Tarnish happens as a result of silver jewelry being exposed to oxygen and sulfur particles in the air. So, to keep your silver from tarnishing, you can store it in a ziplock bag and other airtight container. If you're using a bag, be sure to remove all the air before sealing the bag.
It involves mixing salt, baking soda and water and then microwaving until hot. Then the solution is poured into a bowl lined with aluminum foil. The writer said that soaking your jewelry will remove tarnish, and get this: The silver from the aluminum will re-plate the worn spots.
When silver is exposed to sulfur-containing gases in the air, it discolours and then darkens as it reacts with the gas to form a surface layer of tarnish.
If you are looking for a more edgy vibe, oxidized silver is perfect! While oxidized jewelry is easy to take care of, surprisingly, the oxidation can wear off over time. From day-to-day wear, the darkness may begin to fade, which can create your own personalized look!
There are several ways to clean silver. One nontoxic method is to fill an aluminum pan with hot water, salt and baking soda, stir until it is all dissolved, and then soak the pieces until a chemical reaction occurs that removes the tarnish.
If you keep the jewelry open in the air with very high levels of sulfate-releasing gases, your silver jewelry can tarnish within a couple of hours. But if you store it in a dry place with no moisture, sunlight, or air, the jewelry will not tarnish, even for years.
In comparison to other finishes on silver, such as polished or brushed, oxidized silver is usually defined by its dark, antique color but it can also take on other colors such as blue, red, green, brown, or golden hues in some controlled cases.
Storage and Protection: To prevent accelerated tarnishing, keep your oxidized silver jewelry in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
The good news about this ugly truth is that tarnish on sterling silver is not permanent and can easily be removed with the proper cleaning practices.
Airtight ziplock bags slow the development of tarnish on sterling silver pieces. Even if your jewelry is not made of silver, it's still good practice to use this method.
White Vinegar & Baking Soda
If you're wondering how to clean a sterling silver ring, this combination is an excellent gentle cleaner that removes heavy tarnish. Soak your tarnished jewelry in a ½ cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda.
Laundry detergent is also an old and popular remedy to remove tarnish. You just need to pour one small cup of detergent into a bowl of hot water and place the silver jewellery inside. Leave it for 5 to 7 minutes, remove and rub with a cloth. The laundry detergent reacts with the water creating a foamy substance.
"Silver also oxidizes and tarnishes. Rub the tarnished piece as if polishing. If no black residue appears on your cloth, it's not silver." Polishing the silver item is a very good indicator of its authenticity. Rust or a lack of oxidation indicates that the item is made of a different material from silver.
Avoid Exposure: Remove your jewellery before swimming, showering, or applying personal care products. 3. Regular Cleaning: Clean your silver regularly with a soft polishing cloth to remove oils and dirt that can cause tarnish.
Blackened or oxidized silver is genuine sterling silver, but its outer surface has been purposely darkened via a chemical process. This essentially speeds up the natural tarnishing process, creating an attractive dark patina, which consists of a layer of silver sulfide on the exterior of the metal.
The good news is that normal tarnish on silver is not corrosive and the metal underneath the oxide layer should be just fine. However, silver can also tarnish from exposure to chlorine and acids which may potentially be more damaging to the metal, including causing pits to appear.