Sterling silver is one of the most popular metals for jewellery and there are a plethora of reasons why. Not only does it have a smooth shiny lustre that is especially beautiful, but the cool tones of silver are very versatile and look lovely against most skin tones. Not only is it an affordable option compared to white gold, but it is also more hypoallergenic! We could go on about how much we love sterling silver jewellery, but there are some burning questions and a lack of correct information that circles the internet that we need to address!
Everyone who wears sterling silver knows that it can last a very long time, however, to maintain its lustre and shine, you need to properly look after it through cleaning methods. While we can confidently say that sterling silver does not oxidise, over time your jewellery may experience some fading due to contact with certain materials and of course, constant wear.
Will Essential Oils Damage Sterling Silver?
A common question that we get is, will essential oils damage silver? The last thing you want is to accidentally ruin your favourite necklace with a seemingly harmless essential oil. Let's discuss!
Fortunately, essential oils do not damage sterling silver, in fact, they can actually do the opposite! Essential oils are a common tool used to clean jewellery. Lemon oil is often used in concoctions with various other ingredients to restore your favourite silver jewellery’s shine. Hence, silver is a durable material and will not be ruined by essential oils.
A common way to clean silver jewellery is to add baking soda, a small amount of salt and lemon oil to a bowl of warm water and let the jewellery soak for 5-10 minutes. After this, use a toothbrush or cotton pad to gently scrub the jewellery until it starts shining again. Once finished, rinse with warm water and leave it out to dry.
Sterling silver can be damaged by a number of factors that can cause it to dull and tarnish. This includes body oils, sweat, perfumes, salt water and cosmetics. A tarnished piece of jewellery can sometimes simply be faded and less shiny, however in more extreme cases, your favourite silver pieces could begin to turn black. Luckily enough, most of the time silver can be cleaned and buffed back to its original state.
So there you have it, you can continue to wear your sterling silver necklaces, rings and earrings along with essential oils!