Caring for Your Silver Play Jewellery
With a little consistent care, your 925 sterling silver and natural stone jewellery will stay beautiful for years — even decades. The principles are simple, but they make a significant difference.
Everyday Habits
- Put your jewellery on last — after perfume, lotion, hairspray, and sunscreen. Chemicals in these products accelerate tarnish and can dull or damage natural stones.
- Remove jewellery before bathing, swimming, washing dishes, or any activity involving water or sweat.
- Remove before sleeping — movement during sleep can stress settings and scratch soft stones.
- Keep away from household cleaning chemicals, bleach, and chlorinated water.
Cleaning Silver
Wipe your silver gently with a soft, dry cloth after every wear to remove skin oils and moisture — this alone prevents most tarnish. When tarnish does appear, a gentle polish with a jewellery cloth (not a silver dip) will restore the shine. Avoid abrasive materials like toothpaste or rough cloths that can scratch the metal surface.
Care by Stone Type
Durable stones (Jaspers, Agates, Tiger Eye, Pyrite, Amazonite, Amethyst): These are relatively hard and tolerant. Wipe with a damp cloth if needed; dry immediately. Avoid soaking.
Delicate and porous stones (Opal, Blue Opal, Blue Opal Eye, Scolecite, Shattuckite, Mother of Pearl, Purpurite): These stones absorb moisture and chemicals easily. Keep completely dry — never expose to water, perfume, or sweat. Clean only with a dry soft cloth. Opals in particular can crack if they dry out too quickly from being wet.
Soft stones (Wild Horse Magnesite, Pinolith Jasper, Nellite): These can scratch more easily than harder stones. Store separately and avoid contact with harder gemstones or metal surfaces.
Pyrite: Iron-based and can oxidise if exposed to moisture. Keep dry and buff with a dry cloth only.
Storage
Store each piece separately in its soft pouch or a lined jewellery box. Keeping pieces apart prevents stones and metal from scratching each other. Store away from moisture, direct sunlight, and heat — a drawer or closed jewellery box is ideal. Airtight pouches significantly slow down tarnish on silver.
Professional Cleaning
For a deep clean or if a stone setting feels loose, visit a local jeweller. Never attempt to re-set a stone at home. If you have questions about a specific Silver Play piece, write to us at info@silverplay.in — we are happy to advise.