How to Store Your Sterling Silver Jewelry

I really love silver jewelry. There's something really "cowgirl" about silver jewelry from great dangling stirrup or heart earrings to fancy silver belt buckles.
All that great shine does require a little special care and I've found a few tips for taking care of that silver to keep it really shining.


Sterling silver will tarnish if left in the open air and humidity for extended periods of time. Tarnish will first show up as a golden tint and then quickly turn black. This is a normal process, but you can keep tarnish to a minimum if you store your jewelry pieces when not wearing them.


The best way to store your jewelry to keep it from tarnishing is to keep it in an air-tight protective bag made of tarnish proof cloth. Another way to store jewelry pieces is to place it in a plastic zip lock bag made of Mylar (turkey cooking bags) or polyethylene. Be careful as some plastics contain sulfur compounds with will cause it to stain or tarnish more quickly. Don't use polyvinyl plastic bags. Most jewelry comes in tiny zip-lock bags and these work perfectly. Most jewelers store their sterling silver jewelry this way also.


Do not store your sterling silver jewelry directly on wood surfaces. The wood can contain acids that will mar the finish. Oak seems to be the worst for this. Also, don't store the sterling silver with other metals, like pennies on with rubber as these can also cause tarnish and damage.


I would also recommend that you store it so that it isn't rubbing up against other articles to prevent it from getting scratched. The little zip-lock bags placed in a drawer or jewelry box will offer the best protection.


Sterling silver, stored properly, can be worn often and with very little cleaning required, which makes it very easy to care for a lots of fun to wear.


Some of my favorite silver pieces come from Montana Silversmith. For some really great deals on Montana Silversmith jewelry and for more jewelry care and cleaning tips check out what's available at The Cowgirl Boutique (http://www.thecowgirlboutique.com/)..