How to keep your sterling silver looking its best
Your recycled sterling silver jewellery design is very easy to keep clean. We have provided you with a silver polishing cloth that is impregnated with polish. Please use this to keep your silver looking lovely. If you wash the cloth it will no longer work as a polishing cloth for silver. You can replace an old silver cloth here.
Please see our metal guide for more detailed information on the different metals.
Does silver tarnish?
Silver can tarnish if not worn. One of the best ways to keep silver looking good is to wear it.
Certain things can damage or make silver go black like chlorine or sulphur or leaving it in silver dip. Please remove your silver jewellery when swimming, doing sports, or cleaning with cleaning products. Should blackening occur this is not the quality of the silver.
Silver can also be tarnished by the PH balance in your skin being too acidic. This is quite rare. If you are on medication or take recreational drugs or simply if your natural sweat is very acidic this can cause your silver to go black. If this happens we can re-polish it for you or we can rhodium plate it for you. There will be a charge for plating.
Are there any other factors that can cause tarnishing?
Silver can also be tarnished by the PH balance in your skin being too acidic. This is quite rare. If you are on medication or take recreational drugs or simply if your natural sweat is very acidic this can cause your silver to go black. If this happens we can re-polish it for you or we can rhodium plate it for you if that is necessary. Usually for this problem a professional polish will remove any black marks. There will be a charge for plating.
If silver is stored for a long time in a box it can become tarnished by the sulphur in the air. It’s not very ecological but if you need to store your silver design for any length of time the best way is to put it in a small airlock plastic bag. It will stay shiny for longer if you keep the air away from it. Then put it back in its jewellery box. Any tarnish can be polished off. If you have any problems please contact us on +44 207 359 4977 or email us at shop@stepheneinhorn.co.uk
Why is my ring making my skin sore?
If you have bought a wide silver ring, make sure you take it off before you wash your hands. If water gets trapped under your ring and the skin is damp this can cause discomfort and soreness. Make sure your ring is not too tight and your skin is dry. This is not a reflection of the quality of silver we use.
My ring is new why is it slightly scratched?
Silver will scratch over time especially if it is highly polished as it is a relatively soft metal. It is not possible to wear any metal without it becoming superficially scratched. This simply adds to the character of your piece. Silver will also become damaged if it is banged against any surface that is harder or rougher than itself. Please be careful when clapping if you are wearing rings on your other hand. Prolonged banging against another hard surface will damage your ring.
Do you plate your silver?
No we do not plate our silver. We like the colour of real metal. Also if jewellery is plated it cannot be engraved as the plating will come off. However if you are allergic to silver Rhodium plating can make it possible for you to wear it as it is a very hypo allergenic material. If you would like this service please contact us.
What type quality of silver do you use?
Our silver is 925 Sterling silver.
All of our jewellery is fully assayed by the London Assay Office to assure the purity of the metal and features a hallmark to verify this as well as our makers mark to verify its origin.
If I have questions who do I call?
If you have any questions please contact us on +44 207 359 4977 or email us at shop@stepheneinhorn.co.uk