Silver jewellery needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. Most silver contains small amounts of copper metal which will send silver a slightly yellow colour.
Silver cleaning cloth from Argenteus, which you can buy from our stores	Silver can go black when exposed to acidic sweat and/or the atmosphere. Blackening is not a sign that the item is of an inferior quality alloy; it just means that it reacts with a person's skin or the atmosphere. It has been suggested that the diet can influence this. Gold is not as reactive to air and skin but still does need to be checked on a regular basis.

If an item of jewellery is really dirty then professional cleaning will be necessary using an ultrasonic cleaner with cleaning solutions and/or special buffing wheels.

Shiny Finish Silver Jewellery

This is for jewellery with a normal plain shiny finish. Most stone set jewellery is fine to be cleaned in the following ways, except where highlighted;

• Argenteus Silver Cloth - use for light tarnish. Keep one handy and give jewellery a quick polish before putting the item on.
• Wadding - great for medium tarnish, fingerprints, etc. Wear gloves as it can be messy . Use a silver cloth to give jewellery a final polish.
• Argenteus Silver Dip - use for awkward shapes or badly tarnished items. Do not use on Blue John, turquoise, lapis, pearls, amber or any other stones that you are not sure about. Rinse dipped item thoroughly (until squeaky clean) and dry as much as possible with a towel. Leave the item in a warm dry place until it is completely dry - some hollow items may still be wet inside after several hours. Use a silver cloth to give it a final polish.

Textured Finishes Silver Jewellery

Different types of finishes found at Argenteus;

1. Scratch finish - fine random scratching across the surface forming a pattern.
2. Chemically etched finish - 'white powdery' finish on the surface of the jewellery forming a matt finish.
3. Brush finish - similar finish to chemically etched, but done using a high-speed fine wire rotary brush which makes tiny pits on the surface on the jewellery. There are no scratches to be seen.
4. Diamond drill finish - extension of the above but using a diamond tip drill to gouge the surface of the jewellery.

It is very important to clean these types of finishes carefully - vigorous rubbing with a silver cloth can either wear the pattern away and/or make the finish even grubbier. Do not use a silver cloth.

• Argenteus Silver Foam good for textured finish jewellery. It is a reddish paste which is worked into the jewellery using a small soft wetted toothbrush. It helps 'lift' the dirt to the surface. The jewellery is then thoroughly rinsed with warm clean water. Do not use on Blue John, turquoise, lapis, pearls, amber or any other stones that you are not sure about. It can be messy so protect clothes from splashes and wear rubber gloves. Dry item carefully and thoroughly.
• Argenteus Silver Dip can be used with any of the above finishes, but the item must be rinsed really well. Do not use on Blue John, turquoise, lapis, pearls, amber or any other stones which you are not sure about. Dry item carefully and thoroughly.
• A good wash with warm soapy (washing-up liquid) water and a very soft toothbrush works well with any of the above finishes. Dry item carefully and thoroughly.

Silver Plated Jewellery

Any silver plated items will need a very gentle clean with either a silver cloth, or a wash in warm soapy water. As with any jewellery make sure the item is thoroughly dry before storing. Be gentle as plating will eventually wear off.