Silver charm jewelry looks stunning when it is bright, shiny and new. In fact, there is nothing like the gleam which comes from sparkling clean sterling silver. Although sterling silver is a great metal for jewelry as it is strong and hard wearing as well as looking great, it does have one disadvantage. It tends to tarnish over time if you don't look after it carefully. And if you have to clean something like a charm bracelet full of silver charms, each one very detailed and with many "nooks and crannies" then it can be quite a task.
The best thing to do to prevent tarnish is to wear your bracelet a lot,believe it or not. The more that the silver rubs against skin and clothes the less chance there will be for tarnish to build up.
At least that is true for the parts of your bracelet and charms which are in contact with something. You can still get tarnish build up in the indented parts of charms or bracelet, the parts which do not brush past anything naturally. This can actually enhance the form of the charm and bracelet and show off the 3D effect of the charm. But there may come a time when you want to get things looking like new again. What do you do then?
If you wish to clean sterling silver charms and bracelets, you can clean them gently with a soft cloth soaked in warm soapy water. Rinse your jewelry and dry it by wrapping in a soft towel. If you wish to use a jewelry cleaner always check that it is compatible with sterling silver and with any gem stones embedded in your charms. There are a number of cleaning systems on the market
1. Soft Polishing Cloths
You have to work hard to clean every surface of your bracelet with these but if you prefer the relief effect you can polish some parts of your charms more than others to maintain that effect.
2. Cleaning Foam or Paste
These will clean all surfaces of your jewelry but they can be quite messy to use and are not suitable for all stones which you may have embedded in your silver charms
3. Dips, Steam and Ultrasonic methods
Again check that these are suitable before use and choose ones which do not contain poisonous compounds which may be environmentally damaging.
Storing Silver Charms
Clean and dry your jewelry before storing. Store your bracelet and charms away from the air in special bags which prevent tarnish build up. You can get these from jewelry stores. Alternatively use soft cotton bags. Put these bags inside plastic bags to seal them from the air.
Preventing Loss
The other thing which can go wrong with silver charms is that you can lose them. Make sure they are securely fastened to your bracelet and that they cannot fall off. Check them now and again to make sure. You may find that your bracelet is more secure if you add a safety chain. A jeweler can add one for you if it does not already have one. Having said that, you will surely notice if a bracelet with a lot of charms falls off your wrist!
For more information about beautiful silver charms and bracelets, take a look at Silver Charms Online where you will find details about all kinds of charms, including the new Italian silver charms.
The best thing to do to prevent tarnish is to wear your bracelet a lot,believe it or not. The more that the silver rubs against skin and clothes the less chance there will be for tarnish to build up.
At least that is true for the parts of your bracelet and charms which are in contact with something. You can still get tarnish build up in the indented parts of charms or bracelet, the parts which do not brush past anything naturally. This can actually enhance the form of the charm and bracelet and show off the 3D effect of the charm. But there may come a time when you want to get things looking like new again. What do you do then?
If you wish to clean sterling silver charms and bracelets, you can clean them gently with a soft cloth soaked in warm soapy water. Rinse your jewelry and dry it by wrapping in a soft towel. If you wish to use a jewelry cleaner always check that it is compatible with sterling silver and with any gem stones embedded in your charms. There are a number of cleaning systems on the market
1. Soft Polishing Cloths
You have to work hard to clean every surface of your bracelet with these but if you prefer the relief effect you can polish some parts of your charms more than others to maintain that effect.
2. Cleaning Foam or Paste
These will clean all surfaces of your jewelry but they can be quite messy to use and are not suitable for all stones which you may have embedded in your silver charms
3. Dips, Steam and Ultrasonic methods
Again check that these are suitable before use and choose ones which do not contain poisonous compounds which may be environmentally damaging.
Storing Silver Charms
Clean and dry your jewelry before storing. Store your bracelet and charms away from the air in special bags which prevent tarnish build up. You can get these from jewelry stores. Alternatively use soft cotton bags. Put these bags inside plastic bags to seal them from the air.
Preventing Loss
The other thing which can go wrong with silver charms is that you can lose them. Make sure they are securely fastened to your bracelet and that they cannot fall off. Check them now and again to make sure. You may find that your bracelet is more secure if you add a safety chain. A jeweler can add one for you if it does not already have one. Having said that, you will surely notice if a bracelet with a lot of charms falls off your wrist!
For more information about beautiful silver charms and bracelets, take a look at Silver Charms Online where you will find details about all kinds of charms, including the new Italian silver charms.
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