Caring for silver does not mean putting it through an ordeal. Dips, baking soda pastes and stiff brushes do not just remove the tarnish; they remove metal and damage the stone. In the studio, six calm steps are all it takes.
925 sterling silver is made of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. The copper makes the chain strong enough for everyday wear, since fine silver would be too soft for the links and the clasp. Silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air and forms a thin, dark layer of silver sulfide. The copper in sterling darkens along with it. That is tarnish. It is chemistry, not a defect, and a soft cloth takes it off again.
What many people don’t know: our chains are water-resistant, but the stone is not always. Amethyst fades in strong sun, malachite does not like water, and nacre does not like acid. So care means two things: keeping the silver clean and protecting the stone. Both are easier than they sound.
What 925 sterling silver is made of
The 925 stamp stands for 925 parts silver out of 1,000. The copper content adds strength, but it is also the reason sterling tarnishes faster than fine silver. Both are normal, and both are easy to care for.
“A piece that gets worn tarnishes more slowly than one that sits in a drawer. Your skin helps polish it.”
I. Silver care: the two steps that handle almost everything.
First: After wearing, wipe the necklace with a soft, dry cloth. This removes the film of skin oil, sweat and lotion before it binds sulfur. A cotton cloth is enough, and so is an eyeglass cloth. Use a silver polishing cloth only on the metal and never run it over the stone, because the polishing compound in the cloth can dull soft stones like malachite or nacre.
Second: Store it dry and on its own, in a pouch or a small box where the necklace does not rub against other pieces. Raw stones have natural edges, and a ruby with a Mohs hardness of 9 will scratch a labradorite at 6. If you keep your necklaces apart, you avoid this problem. Storing them in the dark also protects the stones that do not like sunlight.
II. How the chain handles cosmetics, salt and chlorine.
Third: Skin first, then the necklace. Let perfume, lotion, sunscreen and hairspray soak in before you put on your jewelry. The chain is water-resistant, but cosmetics leave a film on the silver that holds on to sulfur, and nacre is sensitive to acids.
Fourth: After the ocean or the pool, rinse with clean water and dry. Salt and chlorine are the two substances that make silver tarnish faster and, over time, also wear on the setting. A quick trip to the sink after swimming is enough.
Water is not the problem. What is in the water is.
What speeds up tarnish
Hydrogen sulfide from the air, sweat, salt, cosmetics and chlorine form a layer of silver sulfide on sterling silver. It is harmless and can be wiped off. The sooner, the easier.
III. Cleaning without putting the stone at risk.
Hardness decides what a stone can take
The Mohs scale runs from 1 to 10. The softer the stone, the more easily it scratches. That is why nacre and malachite need their own compartment and a dry cloth.
Fifth: If the necklace ever gets really dirty, add a drop of mild soap to lukewarm water, draw the necklace through it with your fingers, rinse and dry right away. No hot water, because oiled emerald and stones with fine cracks do not handle quick temperature changes well.
Sixth: No ultrasonic cleaners, no steam. This applies to every stone in our Signature collection, from rock crystal to turquoise. Vibration draws oil out of the emerald’s fissures, steam damages nacre, and a raw stone can shift in its setting. What a jeweler uses on a solid gold ring is the wrong tool for a raw stone necklace.
And the sun: amethyst and rose quartz, and over time citrine too, lose color in long, direct sunlight. Wearing them in summer is no problem. Leaving them on a windowsill for good is.
IV. The six steps at a glance.
Everyday routine
01
Wipe
Soft, dry cloth after every wear
02
Store separately
Dry, dark, each necklace on its own
03
Cosmetics first
Let lotion and perfume soak in, then put on the necklace
04
Rinse after swimming
Clean water after the ocean or pool, then dry
05
Clean gently
Lukewarm, a drop of soap, dry right away
06
No ultrasonic, no steam
Applies to every stone and to nacre
Silver alloys compared
999
Fine silver
99.9%
Too soft for chains and clasps
925
Sterling silver
92.5%
Our standard, strong and easy to care for
800
Flatware silver
80%
More copper, tarnishes faster
Why it matters in the studio
Four promises we make about care.
01
The chain is water-resistant.
925 sterling silver and 14K gold-filled can handle hand washing, showers and rain. After salt water or chlorine, give it a quick rinse.
02
Every stone has its own care note.
Every product page says what the stone can and cannot handle. Sun, heat or water: you don’t have to guess.
03
No treatment goes unmentioned.
Oiled emerald, heated aquamarine, stabilized turquoise: we write it down because it matters for care.
04
Tarnish is normal and quickly fixed.
A soft cloth brings back the shine. If you are unsure, write to us before you reach for a paste or a dip.
Silver shows where it has been. A summer by the sea, an evening with perfume, a week in a pouch: everything leaves a faint trace on the metal. A cloth takes it off, and the necklace is as bright as on the first day.
Care is not a chore. Care is a cloth and a compartment.
Carola
All care instructions are also listed on every product page.
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