QuestionI was cleaning my sterling silver necklace in a jewelry cleaner for sterling silver. I left it in for too long, and it turned from silver to a milky white. Is there anything I can do? I'm very attached to it.
AnswerKimberly,
Sterling reacts with sulfur in the air and from the environment to create a tarnish on the silver. The silver dip essentially pulls out the sulfide and what is left is silver in a grayish to dull milky white. Anytime silver dip is used for too long a time on tarnished silver, this is the result. I almost wish that stuff was not on the market because of the many people who have done just what you have and wound up with the discoloration in various shades. Still, for a very quick removal of tarnish the dip will work but it is quite difficult to know how long to leave the silver in the chemical. Rinsing very well is essential to remove any remnant of the dip.
The milky white you see is silver without the tarnish and without a shine. The silver must be polished to restore the shine at this point. For do-it-yourself, a good silver polishing cloth may be used. The best are not the old style two sided ones sold for table ware cleaning, with a red rouge side and a clean side to do the final wiping. These are messy and not very effective. Go with a chemically treated jewelry or silver cleaning cloth, a one step rubbing of the metal to restore the shine. A good brand is Sunshine Cloth sold and distributed by Rio Grande, a reliable company in New Mexico, USA. Better crafts shops and some jewelry stores will have Sunshine Cloth or something similar or might get it for you. Get the cloth and wipe gently, over and over again to restore the shine. Deep recesses in a necklace will likely remain somewhat whitish gray.
www.riogrande.com
If recesses are discolored, try using a soft tooth brush with a paste of moist baking soda to get in there. With some working, the soda will sometimes clean off the dull discolored look and restore a silver look, even if more matte in shine. Now, wipe the cloth again to restore shine to the surfaces the cloth will reach.
The other option is to take your necklace to a jeweler and have it buffed to a shine. Some discoloration may remain in recesses but the shine will be better than you generally can do at home. The cost of this work should be very minimal.
The same cleaning cloth is ideal for removing the tarnish in the first place, avoiding silver dip altogether. Simply use the cloth until it no longer works. I will be dark and dirty looking but will work for a very long time before you throw it away.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
