Collecting jewelry is can be an expensive hobby, especially when considering investing in gold or some precious metal. We also have to remember what happens to metals over time. Why does it tarnish? How can we care for them? Are you worried about the rusting of your precious jewelry? Are you looking for ways how to clean tarnish and rust from jewelry?

If yes! Then we will discuss how jewelry gets tarnished, some easy tricks to save your jewelry, and remedies to clean off tarnish and keep your jewelry new looking, safe, and shiny.

What is Tarnishing?

Mostly silver and gold jewelry gets tarnished. Gold and silver tarnish due to the mixing of alloys as pure gold and silver are very soft and cannot be used alone to make a necklace or a ring because it can lose its original shape easily. The other alloy metals as copper, used in jewelry, causes the tarnishing of gold and silver over time.

When these metals come in contact with moisture, the sulfur in the air reacts with gold and silver, changes its color, and gives it a tarnished look. The tarnishing of gold and silver jewelry from moisture is a slow process, but a few products can accelerate tarnishing, like hair spray, perfume, deodorant, sweating, etc. Luckily this tarnishing of metals is temporary, and you can save it with some proven tricks and remedies.

Let's discuss how to clean all the material.

How to help your jewelry not tarnish.

Keep jewelry dry:

The fastest way to save your jewelry is to prevent it from moisture and liquid contact. Try to save your jewelry from lotions, perfume, hair spray, sweating, and oil. If your jewel gets wet, dry it and store it in a dry place. It will save your jewelry from getting tarnished.

Jewelry boxes:

Jewelry boxes are the best option to store your jewelry for a long time to keep it from tarnishing. Place your jewelry in boxes and place them in a dry place. You can also add silica gel (silicon pouches) or chalk in storage boxes, which is a good moisture absorbent and help you save your jewelry from tarnishing for a long time and keep your jewelry shiny and bright.

Corrosion Intercept bags:

These are special bags that are prepared by lucent technologies. These special bags are made up of reactive copper particles bonded in a polymer matrix, that creates a thin film and neutralizes corrosive gases that come in contact with the film.

This forms a barrier to corrosive gases, saves your silver, gold, or platinum jewelry from tarnishing, and keeps your jewelry shiny for a long time. These bags revolutionized the silver and gold industries. These bags protect silver and gold from tarnishing.

Anti-tarnish cloth bags:

These special cloth bags protect your precious metals and keep them shiny and bright for a long time. You can order these anti-tarnish bags online. These bags are available in many sizes to save metals. These bags are often use for safely handling and transporting metals, preventing them from reacting and tarnishing.

Anti-tarnish Paper:

You can store your precious jewelry by using anti-tarnish papers. These anti-tarnish papers are a patent product of lucent technologies. You can simply place your jewelry on these anti-tarnish papers and keep it in BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) bags. These anti-tarnish papers are non-abrasive and non-contaminating and provide superior protection to your precious jewelry.

Antitarnish sprays:

When using anti-tarnish protectant sprays, you can store your jewelry to keep it fresh and tarnish-free for a long time. Protactaclear is an anti-tarnishing spray that can save your jewelry from tarnishing and oxidation. It is very easy to use. Just spray it on your precious metals. It creates a protective coating on precious metals and it brightens it up as well.

Ziplock bags:

Ziplock bags is a great option as well. This way is simple: just put your jewelry in bags and close the zip. It will prevent it from moisturizing and tarnishing its color. Add a silica gel pouch inside it. It will grab all the moisture from the zip bag.

Plastic Wraps:

You can store your ornaments or jewelry in BOPP plastic wraps by sealing them. You can save your jewelry from reactions to moisture and gases from the air. You need

● Bopp Plastic wraps

● Jewelry you want to save

● Open up the plastic wrap on a flat surface.

● Place your jewelry at some distance to save it from coiling.

● Stretch other plastic wrap sheet and place more jewelry

● Cut wrap from a roller.

● Seal the plastic bag from all sides, vacuum it properly and store it safely.

Avoid chemical exposure:

You can protect your jewelry by avoiding exposure to chemicals. Keep your precious jewelry safe from chemicals like perfumes, deodorant, soaps, shampoos, and sweating. All of these things can accelerate the tarnishing process. So avoid chemical exposure to your precious jewelry. Dry it well before storing it in a dry place. It will give your jewelry a long life and keep it shiny and bright.

Use chalks and silica gels to protect jewelry:

You can use this very simple tip to protect your jewelry from tarnishing. You can use chalks and silica gel pouches in jewelry boxes or bags to save them from tarnishing. Both of these are very good moisture absorbents and keep your jewelry shining bright for a long time. Both will eliminate dampness and chemical residues from silver.

How to remove rust from jewelry?

Now we will discuss some tricks to remove tarnish and rust from jewelry. These tricks will help you to save your precious jewelry shining bright for a long time.

Vinegar:

You can remove rust from jewelry by using white vinegar. It is slightly acidic. It will not harm your jewelry. It is a natural cleaning agent you can easily get white vinegar from a grocery.

What you need to do is

1. Takes a shallow bowl and pour vinegar into it.
2. Submerges your jewelry completely into it. Make sure that its completely covered especially areas with rust.
3. Leave your jewelry for at least 8 hours as vinegar take time to lose rust.
4. Scrub it carefully with a toothbrush to remove any caked-on residue from your jewelry.
5. Rinse it with cool water and ensure all the vinegar has been cleaned and washed off. Rinse it again if some vinegar is left. Easy way to know is to smell your jewelry if it still smells like vinegar it needs to be rinsed again.
6. Dry your jewelry with a soft cloth. Ensure your necklace is completely dry before wearing and storing it a box.
7. The vinegar only removes rust from the jewelry, not tarnish.
8. Be careful and protect your gemstones from vinegar, which can damage them. We suggest looking them up to see if they can be damaged with the use of vinegar.

Dish soap:

It is the most simple and popular method for cleaning jewelry from rust. Dish soap is easily and readily available for home grocery stores.

It just takes a few steps to clean your jewelry

1. Take a shallow bowl and put a warm cup of water into it.
2. Now pour some mild dish soap to the warm water.
3. Try using unscented dish soap to save your jewelry from discoloration.
4. Now dip your rusted jewelry into the water and rub it gently with your fingers.
5. Use your finger instead of a cloth or a sponge.
6. Rinse your necklace with warm water, ensuring no soap residue is left on the jewelry.
7. Now dry your jewelry by using a piece of a soft cloth.
8. Make sure that the cloth is debris and dust free.
9. Make sure that your jewelry is completely dried.
10. Now store your jewelry in a dry place and protect it from rust and tarnish for a long time.

Baking soda and salt:

Baking soda and salt, along with aluminum foil, is a magic liquid to clean tarnish and rust from jewelry.

You need to do a few simple steps to clean your jewelry.

1. Take a small bowl and line it with aluminum foil.
2. Pour about 240 ml of warm water into a bowl.
3. Fun Fact: Aluminum foil provides an electrolytic reaction to tarnish and rust.
4. Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda and one tablespoon salt in warm water.
5. Stir this liquid well.
6. Fun Fact: Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent that is mildly corrosive but does not harm your jewelry.
7. Fun Fact: Salt is a natural antiseptic agent.
8. Fun Fact: It will help you to remove rust from gold, silver, iron, and steel costume jewelry.
9. Dip your jewelry into the liquid.
10. Make sure that the jewelry touches the aluminum foil.
11. Let it sit for 2-10 minutes to remove tarnish and rust from your jewelry.
12. Take it out from the mixture.
13. Rinse it off properly with cold water.
14. Dry it properly with s soft cloth
15. Make sure no humidity is left.
16. Make sure that the cloth is dust and dirt free.
17. Leave it in the air for an hour to dry.
18. Store it in a dry place and keep a silicon pouch in the storage box to remove moisture.

Lemon Juice

You can use lemon juice to remove rust and tarnish from your jewelry. Lemon juice is acidic and mildly acidic. It will remove rust easily without a damaging necklace.

You must follow simple steps to clean your rust and tarnished jewelry.

1. Take a bowl and pour some warm water into it.
2. Pour lemon juice into it.
3. Mix this liquid well.
4. Leave your tarnished jewelry in a bowl for 10-15 minutes.
5. If dirt does not dissolve, then place it for a longer time.
6. Rinse it with water.
7. Take your jewelry out from the mixture.
8. Dry it carefully with a soft cloth.
9. Make sure that the cloth is dirt and dust free.
10. Leave your jewelry in the air for an hour to dry it.
11. Make sure it is dried completely, and now store it in the dry place.

Toothpaste and toothbrush

You can use this simple home remedy to remove tarnish and rust from your jewelry. This method works and cleans your jewelry.

You need some simple steps to do.

1. Squeeze some toothpaste.
2. Apply this toothpaste to the affected tarnished and rusted area.
3. Rub toothpaste gently on the surface of the jewelry.
4. Rub it with a soft bristle toothbrush to avoid scratches on it.
5. Rinse your jewelry with cold water.
6. Make sure that toothpaste is cleaned off properly.
7. Leave your jewelry in the air for an hour and to dry it.
8. Make sure that the jewelry is dried properly.
9. Now store your jewelry in a dry place.

Shampoo and toothbrush

You can also clean your jewelry from rust and tarnishing by using shampoo. The shampoo will clean your tarnished jewelry effectively.

You just need to do a few steps.

1. Take a bowl and pour some water into it.
2. Take a few drops of mild shampoo, or you can use baby shampoo.
3. Mix it well with a spoon or a stir.
4. Dip your jewelry into the mixture.
5. Use a soft bristle brush to clean your jewelry.
6. Rub it with a brush slowly to remove rust.
7. Rinse it with clean and warm water.
8. Dry it carefully and leave it in the air for an hour.
9. Store this completely dried jewelry in a jewelry box.

Mango powder (amchur)

Let me tell you an amazing tip that will give you surprising results. Use a little mango powder to remove the tarnish from your jewelry. Mango powder has a lot of benefits. It is used in many dishes to make them flavorful. You can also use it to remove from your jewelry.

1. Take some mango powder, add water, and make it a thick paste.
2. Rub this paste on the jewelry and set aside 10-15 minutes.
3. Scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse with water.
4. Dry with a clean cloth.

Mango powder is easily available in groceries stores. In case it is not available you can make it at home. Use raw mango to make powder. Cut mango into slices and then sunbathe for a few days. When they dry, make a fine powder and keep it in a jar.

I hope you enjoyed these simple tricks and tips to help keep your jewelry shining bright for a long time.