As you might guess, it is important to read the label of any cleaning solution you intend to use on your piece of antique jewelry. It is important to make sure the cleaning solution doesn’t contain ammonia, vinegar, or any other acids or alcohols. These chemicals might harm the finish of your antique jewelry. They could also damage any stones or materials used to mount the stones. But it’s not just chemicals you have to watch out for.

Although the old standby of good old soap and water might be good for some cleaning situations, it isn’t the best choice for cleaning your piece of antique jewelry. Soaps can leave a residue on your jewelry, making the metal look flat and the stones look dull. Aside from that, the water might dissolve mounting materials such as glue and run the risk of losing the gems from your piece.

If the primary problem is dust, you can simply use a very soft toothbrush to clean your piece of antique jewelry. Use the softest toothbrush you can find, and of course make sure there is no toothpaste residue left on the bristles. A brand new toothbrush, set aside for cleaning your older pieces of jewelry, might be the safest bet.

A very important step in cleaning any piece of antique jewelry is ensuring it is thoroughly dried when you’re finished with it. Keep moisture and dampness away from stored jewelry also, since dampness is a culprit who encourages verdigris, rust, pitting of plated metals, and other damaging conditions.

So there you have a quick rundown on the care and cleaning of your antique jewelry. Of course, if you’re still a little gun shy about damaging a piece from cleaning, you could always take it to a professional jeweler to have it cleaned. Remember it is important that you don’t do anything to modify a piece of antique jewelry, since doing so could drastically decrease its value as a collectible.

Silver is one of the finest metals that can be used in jewelry. The purest silver, which is called fine silver, is 999/1000 pure. However, when it comes to silver jewelry, purity is not a good thing. Pure silver is too soft to be used in jewelry. It needs to be mixed with other metals in order to create alloys which are considered more durable.

The most commonly used silver alloy in jewelry is Sterling silver. This consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. When these two elements are combined, these create a mixture that is durable enough for everyday use and at the same time, maintains the desired shine. In some cases, rhodium is incorporated in silver to provide a tarnish-resistant finish.

Aside from Sterling silver, there are other jewelries that are composed of silver and other metals. These silver jewelries include silver 800, an 80/20 mix of silver and other metals. There are also silver-plated jewelries. However, these are not good long-term investments because the silver wears off after some time. This is also true of nickel silver jewelry. This type does not actually contain silver; it is a combination of several other metals.

No matter what type of silver is used in silver jewelry, it is important to take care of it since it has the tendency to scratch and tarnish after a period of time. Although silver can make a fine piece of jewelry, silver requires high maintenance compared to gold.