• Silver tarnishes as a result of being in contact with oxygen. To keep your silver shiny and bright and to maintain a glossy surface on your resin, store your jewellery in a airtight bag, keeping individual pieces separate from each other to avoid abrasion. To store earrings in the same bag, place the first in the bag, fold the bag in half and place the second earring in it before sealing it.
  • Eventually, you may notice some tarnish on your silver. The simplest way to remove this is to rub the metal with a silver polishing cloth. This method works well on high polished, bright silver, but you may not be able to reach every part of textured surfaces. For these cases, use the method at the bottom of the page.
  • If a portion of your jewellery piece has a colored or darkened patina over the surface, polishing should be avoided on that area as it will remove the surface treatment. If the patina is only recessed within a texture on a polished surface, a polishing cloth can be used as the recessed surfaces will not come in contact with the cloth.
  • Do not use any chemicals or metal polishing products as they may damage the resin and could cause your silver to tarnish more readily.

  • In certain cases, it may be impossible to clean jewellery with just a polishing cloth - heavily textured surfaces, chains, or twists and curves in the piece can prevent a cloth from reaching every surface. For these pieces, an easy-to-make solution in the presence of aluminum and heat removes tarnish. Within moments, the tarnish binds with the aluminum, leaving the metal bright and shiny again! 

  • NOTE: Use extreme caution if the jewellery pieces you want to clean feature resin, delicate gemstones such as opals or pearls, and intentional patinas. In these cases, the water should neither be too hot to touch nor left to sit longer than 2 to 5 minutes! If you are unsure if this method is safe for your piece, please contact me.

  1. Choose a cleaning vessel.
    It should be large enough to accommodate the piece you want to clean, such as a bowl, pot or basin.
  2. Line the vessel with aluminum foil.
    It doesn't have to completely cover the surface of the vessel - just ensure that the tarnished pieces will be able to come in contact with the foil.

  3. Add equal parts salt, baking soda and liquid dish soap.
    There's no exact measurement for this, but about 1 tablespoon of each ingredient works well in 1-2 litres of water.

  4. Fill the vessel with hot water.
    The water can be just shy of boiling for all-metal pieces, but should not be too hot to touch if the piece consists of alternative materials, such as resin.
  5. Gently lower the pieces into the solution and watch the tarnish disappear. 
    This process can happen very quickly or take several minutes, depending on the temperature of the water.
  6. Retrieve the pieces.
    To avoid scratches on the metal, use a wood, plastic or rubber utensil and rinse in fresh water. 
  7. Dry them off. 
    Use a soft, clean cloth.
  8. Touch Up. 
    Freshen the silver's surface with a polishing cloth.