Tarnished Silver Tarnish is in no way indicative of a low quality in sterling silver. Sterling silver (or .925 silver) is, by law, at least 92.5% pure silver and no more than 7.5% other metals. Sterling silver is an alloy, or mixture, of metals. Pure silver is too soft to be used for most jewelry and household good purposes, so other metals are added to strengthen the metal and make it more durable. Pure silver oxydizes (tarnishes) very slowly, but the addition of other metals to pure silver cause it to oxydize (or tarnish) more quickly. Laws regulate how metals must be marked. In the US, only pure silver can be marked “.999” and only silver of at least 92.5% purity can be marked “.925” or “sterling.”
It happens with exposure to air and certain chemicals. The silver atoms combine with oxygen to form a layer of silver oxide, which is what causes the discoloration.
Cleaning Tarnished SilverThe short answer: A good silver polish and “elbow grease”.
There are a number of ways to clean your silver, but you need to be careful as to what methods you use. Many of the over-the-counter silver jewelry cleaners contain harmful carcinogens that have been known to cause cancer, so you might want to avoid those for your silver-cleaning needs.
The best way to keep silver clean is to avoid tarnish to begin with. To do this, make sure that you store your silver in a zip-lock baggie. When silver gets dirty or tarnished, create a baking soda paste with water and baking soda and gently rub the paste all over the silver with a damp cloth until the silver is clean. Rinse the silver off and make sure you dry it well before storing it or wearing it. People have also been known to use this same method using toothpaste instead of baking soda and water.
Answer
I put baking soda and boiling water in an aluminum baking pan and heat it on my stove top then i dip my silver items in it and let soak for a few seconds, they come out quite clean with little ‘elbow grease’.
Keep a piece of chalk with your silver jewelry to help prevent tarnish
Buy some jewelry cleanser and clean silver at home
Yes, and it is quite a convenient way to buy jewellery.
Additional Notes:
In short, yes this is possible. Please verify the reputation of the place you are buying the ring at. You will have to get the ring sized, or have her finger measured to make sure you get the right size. I prefer to get my jewelry from my local jeweler, because if something goes wrong, I know where to go to find them or to get it right. I also know they are not going to take my money and not give me my item or not give me a bad item and then close up shop over night. With Engagement Rings in particular, you may think a ring looks GREAT online, but when it comes in it may not be what you thought it was and may not look good on her finger like you thought it would. With a major purchase such as this, I would trust a jeweler.
The engagement ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand and is then moved to the right hand after the wedding or you can wear both the rings on the same finger.
It represents love, loyalty and friendship. The Claddagh ring come from Ireland and it is a tradition. The hands represent friendship, the heart love and the crown loyalty. The first Claddagh ring was made in 17Th century. It dates from the roman times.
a boyfriend can absolutely give a girlfriend a Claddagh ring.
on the right hand when worn, heart facing out.. means the wearers heart is available – single … heart facing in the heart of the wearer is taken.. on the left hand.. facing in.. married. if out.. i have no idea..
the metal, platinum, for a girlfriend? in my book.. rather pricey,, sterling silver would be just as nice and probably alittle more practical for the ol’ budget.. really it depends on what she likes. i wear silver now.. but hint around to the old man for a platinum one for engagement/wedding.
Probably but I’ve never heard of it before. If they did they’d probably be laughed at though.
I have never heard that superstition.
If you are married or engaged tradition states that you wear the ring with the heart pointing up the arm and if you are single the heart is out.
I’m not familiar with that particular superstition but I have always been taught that it is very bad luck to buy the claddagh for yourself – that it should always be given as a token of friendship.
Bad luck is just superstition it is not to , you should also belive in jesus and god because they stop bad luck .
There are 2 legends surrounding the Claddagh. The first one seems to be more legend than fact, but it goes like this. A great Irish Prince fell in love with a commoner in his realm. Her father was not pleased about the relationship, fearing the Prince would simply have his way with the young woman and then leave her in disgrace. The Prince wanted to prove his love and devotion to his maiden’s father. So he designed a ring. The hands to represent his long held friendship with his maid and her family. The crown to represent his undying loyalty and devotion. The heart to represent his ever lasting love. The Prince traveled to the home of his maiden, and presented the ring to her in front of her father. Asking for her hand in marriage. Upon seeing the ring and hearing the proposal, the father gave his blessing and all lived happily ever after. The second legend holds more historical fact in it’s story. Claddagh itself refers to a small fishing village just near Galway city. The Claddagh ring supposedly originated in this area. The original Claddagh ring is generally attributed to one Richard Joyce, of Galway. Joyce departed from Claddagh, a small fishing village where the waters of the River Corrib meet Galway Bay, on a ship enroute to the plantations of the West Indies. That week he was to was to be married, but his ship was captured by Mediterranean Algerian pirates and the crew were sold as a slaves; Richard Joyce was sold to a Moorish goldsmith who trained him in his craft. He soon became a master in his trade and hand crafted a ring for the woman at home he could not forget. In 1689 he was released after William III came to the throne of England and concluded an agreement whereby all his subjects who where held in captivity by the Moors were to be allowed return to their homes. The Moorish goldsmith offered Richard his only daughter in marriage and half his wealth if he would remain in Algiers. He declined and returned to Claddagh to find that the woman of his heart had never married. He gave her the ring and they were married and he set up a goldsmith shop in the town of Claddagh. By tradition the ring is taken to signify the wish that Love and friendship should reign supreme. The hands signify friendship, the crown loyalty, and the heart love. These rings were kept as heirlooms with great pride and passed from mother to daughter. The ring is worn extensively across Ireland, either on the right hand with the heart turned outwards showing that the wearer is “fancy free” or with the heart turned inwards to denote that he or she is “spoken for”. The pride of place is on the left hand, with the heart turned in, indicating that the wearer is happily married and the love and friendship will last forever, the two never separated.