What is Sterling Silver?

Sterling silver is a metal containing at least 92.5% silver. This is the legal standard of purity used for most silver jewelry throughout the world. It means that the metal used is of a specific quality. Pure silver is never used, as it is too soft to be practical.

How to take care of it?

• Sterling silver tarnishes with time and wear. Polish it frequently with a soft dry cloth to avoid tarnish and maintain its lustre. (do not use silver dip).
• We recommend you protect your silver jewelry in the original covering you got it in. Please store it in a cool, dry place, keeping individual pieces separate to avoid scratching.
• Use warm water, washing up liquid and a soft toothbrush on gemstones to keep them sparkling. Soak and brush inside the back of the setting and rinse.
• Avoid contact with chemicals, perfume, hairspray and deodorant.
• We guarantee against manufacturing faults, but not any kind of misuse. We advise to remove when showering, swimming or when undertaking manual or domestic work to maintain its quality.

Is your Sterling silver leaving colour on your skin?

How does discoloration happening?

• Sterling silver is a mixture of metals with at least 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals. With time, all sterling silver jewelry piece that is exposed to air will tarnish.
• And it is the other metals, usually copper, that oxidised in the air resulting in the build-up of a tarnished layer on sterling silver jewelry.
• Silver tarnishes faster in areas with high humidity and air pollution. Additionally, contact with materials like cosmetics, hairspray, perfume, deodorant, body lotion, bleach, etc, can speed up the tarnishing process. The silver in your ring may also become oxidized by reacting with acids in your skin, the moisture in perspiration, or by reacting with some other lotion or chemical on your skin.
• Make-up present on the skin or clothing is the most common cause of blackening or smudging. Cosmetics often contain chemical compounds which are harder than the jewelry itself. These compounds can rub off very tiny particles of metal which appear as jet black dust.
• A solution is to use a silver cloth to polish your jewelry. Remember to remove rings and jewelry while applying make-up. Using soap and water, clean the areas of your skin that will come into contact with the jewelry making sure all soap is rinsed off and your hands are dry.