How to clean tarnished jewelry (brass & silver)

Tarnish is a chemical reaction that occurs in metals such as silver, brass, and copper jewelry. Tarnish occurs with extended exposure to oxygen, which creates a patina. While tarnish is associated with cheap metal, this is a natural process and can be viewed the same way as lint building up on wool or suede becoming shaggy. As with all of your other items in your wardrobe, jewelry requires cleaning and general upkeep. To delay tarnish, I recommend removing jewelry while sweating and avoiding spraying perfumes and/or applying lotion on top of jewelry. Here are a few ways to remove tarnish from jewelry:

Dawn Dish Soap:

Dawn is an inexpensive way to clean tarnished jewelry and there's a good chance you already have it in your home. Apply some soap onto the jewelry and scrub with a toothbrush. Thoroughly rinse and dry with a towel or paper towel.

Polishing Cloth:

This is my most recommended method. A polishing cloth has a abrasive compound embedded into cloth that removed tarnish quickly. Polishing cloths, depending on usage, can last several year. I always recommend Sunshine Polishing Cloths and it's a personal favorite that I have been using in the studio for years. Simply rub the piece and never get the cloth wet.

Sunshine polishing cloth with the Jam Hoop

Visit a jeweler (like Yam):

Visit your local jewelry repair shop. If you've purchased any jewelry from Yam, please email us at hello@yamnyc.com for a maintenance polish. We are able to do a re-polish with our tumbler or rotary polisher. Shop our full collection of silver, brass and pearl jewelry below.

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