Tarnished Silver Jewelry

Growing up in southeastern Arizona in the 1980s meant that silver jewelry was very popular. We had a local silversmith, Mr. Hernandez, who was just amazing at his craft. He fashioned many pieces for my parents. He made a silver, turquoise, and mother-of-pearl inlay belt buckle for my dad with his initials, and also a leather belt with a silver lacing. I still have many pieces of my mom's silver jewelry that he made for her.

When I moved to Central Minnesota, turquoise wasn't very popular, so I didn't wear it much and tucked it away in a jewelry chest.

Anyone who has owned silver jewelry or tableware understands that if it's not used, it will tarnish. Buying expensive chemicals or gadgets to clean your silver is not always possible or practical.

I learned early on what toothpaste, vinegar, and baking soda can do to clean silver. To do this, you will need a toothbrush or a soft-bristle brush. A bowl or container, baking soda, vinegar, water, and toothpaste.

I didn't measure, just dumped some baking soda into a bowl

I added water to create a slurry and dropped the chain to soak.

This is before cleaning

This is after cleaning with toothpaste.

The three rings and chain were cleaned with baking soda and water

Starting over with a clean bowl

More baking soda

Now, baking soda with vinegar

The chain still needs a lot of work, so that is a post for another time, but I think the rings all cleaned up nicely using the baking soda and vinegar. It was less scrubbing with the toothbrush, and I think it yielded better results than the toothpaste.

Be cautious what type of jewelry and stones you allow to soak in baking soda and vinegar, as this solution could cause damage to porous stones and finishes. I would never recommend this method for a piece of jewelry that has been electroplated or silver dipped.

My daughter and I were out and about a couple of weeks ago, and I saw some spoon rings for sale. Maybe they are coming back. If so, she can save herself some money and just wear her mom's vintage spoon rings.