Need info on cleaning sterling silver

[QMPMom]

earrings.

I have a pair of very nice earrings. Handmade of Swarovski Crystals and Sterling Silver earwives, spacers and pins. They are beginning to tarnish slightly and need cleaning.

How can I clean them so as not to harm the Swarovski Crystals?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear QMPMom!

If they were mine, I'd take them to a jeweler that I trust, and let them clean them.......

That's what I'd do!

:hi:

[flamingyouth]

2. Use a silver cleaning cloth

Just be gentle around the crystals. They should be fine - I sold Swarovski crystal for years. :hi:

[QMPMom]

3. Thanks, my friends. I'll try the cleaning cloth first and go from there.

[trof]

4. Aluminum foil, according to Miz t.

In a bowl, dissolve Spic & Span in hot water.
Place a sheet of aluminum foil in bottom of bowl and let earrings soak for a while.
Viola!
Tarnish all gone.

[Robb]

5. This is almost what I do

Line a bowl with tinfoil, spoon in two tablespoons baking soda.

Boil water in a kettle, put silver in the lined bowl, pour in the boiling water, wait five minutes. :)

Ah, better living through chemistry!

[trof]

6. Miz t. said she thought soda would work too.

Great minds...

[Robb]

7. Cool science

at this link:

"The baking soda/aluminum combo pulls sulfur off the silver by a small electrolytic current set up through the "salt bridge". This is why contact with the aluminum is so important. Both Silver and Aluminum loves to accept sulfur, but aluminum does it quicker and will pull atoms of it off the item as long as the electrolytic current remains. The silver is left all alone again. The heat of the water is just a catalyst and makes the reaction occur faster."