How to store silver accessories and jewelry
Silver accessories and jewelry can become tarnished if not stored properly.
Gold hardly oxidizes even when left in the air, so it will not become dull. However, if you wear it on a daily basis, it will pick up human oils and other dirt, so we recommend wiping it down at the very least before storing it.
Blocking air flow
Basically, you can prevent oxidation by blocking the air flow.
Simply storing it in a ziplock bag, such as those sold at 100 yen stores, will significantly improve the storage conditions.
When it comes to mirror-finished items, some people worry about them getting scratched by the plastic of a zip-lock bag, but when it comes to jewelry and accessories that you will wear on a daily basis, you may not need to be so concerned about this.
After wearing, wipe your jewelry lightly before storing it.
When you wear jewelry or accessories, they will not only become soiled with dirt from everyday life, but also with human oils and grease.
If you leave it in that condition, it will be stored in a state where it is easily soiled, so we recommend that you wipe it lightly after wearing it before storing it.
We also recommend wiping it with an alcohol tissue before storing it.
Some people recommend cleaning it with citric acid, but if you just wipe it lightly it's fine.
However, in the case of jewelry that is soaked in citric acid, it may cause the metal to discolor.
If you want to clean it by soaking, a safe solution is baking soda.
After that, remove all moisture and dry it thoroughly before storing.
Please see this article for detailed instructions on how to care for and maintain silver accessories and jewelry.