A Little Tip: Protect Against Tarnish

Plastic Bags: Keep Jewelry Clean

Last month we looked at the miracle of plastic bags for keeping jewelry untangled. By keeping pieces separated in their own bags one can easily avoid their jewelry box from becoming a war zone of knots, (remember to leave a bit out of the bag). A plastic bag can also help protect your softer gemstones from getting scratched by other pieces or harder stones.

Another plus for keeping your unworn jewelry in a plastic bag is that the bag keeps the piece from tarnishing. By sealing metal pieces up it limits their exposure to oxygen and moisture in the air that causes that darkness to consume your silver or gold-filled/rose-filled to take on a deeper tone. This particular storage method will also help keep any oxidized pieces a deep, rich black.

These changes occur by the sulfur in the air reacting with the metal, breaking down the top layer (this process we force to occur in our oxidized pieces). The rate that jewelry tarnishes varies depending on the heat and humidity of the environment and the specific metal of the piece. For example, high heat and high humidity will speed up the rate of tarnishing so we advise wearers to not store their jewelry in the bathroom, (don’t even wear it in the shower).

To keep your jewelry bright for as long as possible just pop them in those ziplock bags and keep them stored in a cool place. We provide ziplock bags with every online purchase and if you acquire a piece at our 520 N. Michigan Ave Kiosk or at one of our shows be sure to ask for a bag before you leave.

**It is important to note that tarnishing cannot be completely prevented, storing them in these bags will merely slow down the process