Two questions we get constantly: why has my moissanite gone dull, and why has my silver gone dark? Both have simple answers, and neither means the piece is faulty.
Why moissanite looks dull (it usually is not)
Moissanite does not cloud and it does not lose its fire. If a stone has gone flat, what has almost always happened is a film of skin oil, soap and hand cream has built up on the back of the stone.
Light enters a faceted stone through the top and bounces off the rear facets to come back at you. Coat those rear facets in grease and the light stops bouncing. The stone goes grey.
The two-minute fix
- Warm water, a drop of washing-up liquid.
- Soak for five minutes.
- Scrub gently behind the stone with a soft toothbrush — this is the bit everyone misses.
- Rinse and pat dry with a soft cloth.
Do this monthly if you wear the piece daily. It takes longer to read this than to do it.
What not to use
- Bleach — attacks the silver, not the stone.
- Toothpaste — it is an abrasive and will scratch the metal.
- Ultrasonic cleaners on adjustable rings — the vibration works an open band loose over time. Fine on fixed-size pieces.
Why sterling silver darkens
Sterling silver is 92.5 per cent silver and 7.5 per cent other metals, usually copper. Silver reacts with sulphur compounds in the air and on skin, forming a dark layer on the surface. That is tarnish.
It is a chemical reaction, not damage, and it is the clearest sign the metal is real. Plated base metal does not tarnish; it just wears through.
Our pieces are rhodium-finished, which slows this down considerably — but rhodium is a plating and it thins with wear, so tarnish appears eventually on well-loved pieces.
Slowing it down
- Wear it. Silver worn regularly tarnishes more slowly than silver in a drawer — skin contact keeps the surface polished.
- Store it dry and dark. A closed box, not an open dish. Never a bathroom shelf; humidity accelerates it.
- Put it on last. After perfume, hairspray, moisturiser and make-up. Sulphur-containing cosmetics are the biggest culprit.
- Take it off for swimming. Chlorine and salt water are both hard on silver.
Reversing it
A silver polishing cloth, twenty seconds, done. Keep one in the drawer.
Avoid silver dip solutions on pieces with set stones — they can get behind the setting and leave residue you cannot reach.
A note on adjustable rings
Open your ring from the widest part of the band, gently, and only as far as you need to get it on. Repeatedly forcing an open band wide will fatigue the silver, as it would with any metal. Adjust it once to fit and leave it.