How To Take Care Of A Sterling Silver Heart Necklace
A sterling silver heart necklace is one of the most beautiful gifts to give someone. The heart shape can be an adorable representation of your love for a friend, lover, or family member. They can think of you whenever they wear it and be reminded of the close bond that you share with them.
Silver pairs well with a wide range of styles and skin tones, so you can always wear it to spruce up an outfit. Furthermore, the simplicity of a heart shape means that this kind of necklace can look great on anyone. Sterling silver is a gorgeous material that keeps its shiny appearance for a long time with the proper care. Loved ones can treasure a sterling silver heart necklace for an entire lifetime if they follow the right care instructions.
Properties of Silver
The purity of materials in a sterling silver heart necklace is important for knowing how to properly care for your precious jewelry item. Sterling silver was defined in 1951 as being at least 92.5% pure silver.
Originally the other 7.5% was copper to contribute to the alloy’s luster, strength, and durability. This remains the industry standard today, but some alloys may use other metals instead of copper. Remember to make sure that your jewelry is true sterling silver of at least 92.5% silver so that you know it will have the proper beauty and durability.
Caring for Sterling Silver
There are some environments that will cause sterling silver heart necklaces to tarnish, including salt water, chlorine, humidity, sweat, cosmetics, and strong chemicals like those found in cleaning products. To avoid tarnishing your sterling silver jewelry, you should take it off and keep it in a safe, dry place while doing activities that could tarnish them.
Some activities to avoid while wearing your sterling silver heart necklace include swimming, exercising, showering, using cosmetics like lotion or hair care products, cleaning the house, or cooking. Once you finish these activities, you can wash your skin and put the jewelry back on.
Cleaning Sterling Silver
Even if you are careful with your sterling silver heart necklace, there may still be times when you need to clean it. Using baking soda and water, you can easily make a cleaning solution for sterling silver jewelry. The solution should be two parts baking soda and one part water mixed to make a paste.
You should rub the paste onto the jewelry and let it sit until it is dried. Once dried, you can rinse off the paste with warm water and then dry the jewelry with a soft cloth. Instead of the homemade solution, you can buy a special jewelry cleaning solution from your local jewelry store.
Show You Care
If you are given a sterling silver heart necklace from a loved one, you can show you care by taking good care of your jewelry to enjoy wearing it for a long time. By caring for your jewelry, you can treasure it and keep it looking great.
