What’s not to love about silver jewelry? They are durable, light, and perfect for any occasion. On top of that, while it is considered a precious metal, it is the only one that is cheaper and readily available among them. It’s always a popular option if you’re looking for good quality on a budget.
There is, however, a downside to silver, that is, tarnishing. Silver tends to lose its shine and luster through tarnish when exposed to sulfuric components. While you can restore the shine by polishing the silver, it can get tiring to do so each time you take out your silver pieces.
That is why in this post we will share with you several tips for coating your silver so you can prevent it from tarnishing and maintain it for a longer period.
oh, you guys also can read more tips here or here!
Tips For Coating Silver To Prevent Tarnish.
While some may appreciate the vintage feel that the dark layer that forms on the silver gives, when it tarnishes, many people prefer its original silvery white shine.
Proper care and storage is the first step to preventing your silver from tarnishing, however, the coating also goes a long way in protecting your silver.
The following are some helpful tips when it comes to coating your silver:
1. Clear Nail Polish.
This is a classic old trick that most people may not be aware of. In this case, nail polish acts as a sealant that protects the surface of our silver from exposure to air, water, or sulfuric components.
Simply apply one to two coats of nail polish on your silver, ensuring that you give time for the coating to dry before applying another layer.
The coating will last based on the quality of the nail polish and how often you use your silver pieces. So, after a while, you may need to clean the silver and reapply the polish.
Generally, nail polish should be safe for your skin. Still be very careful about the type of quality you opt for, ensure it is the highest quality.
2. Protectant Spray.
Another easy-to-use coating trick is using the protective clear coating spray. Today many brands manufacture such. These sprays also work as sealants, shielding your silver from conditions that would lead to tarnishing. Some brands of protective spray only protect your pieces from tarnish.
The higher quality and more expensive sprays also protect your skin from irritation or allergic reactions. A good brand to try out would be ProtectaClear.
Like nail polish, however, these protective sprays do not last forever. After some time, you would need to reapply a layer of it on your silver.
They are, however, easy to apply, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Just ensure you follow the detailed instructions that come with the spray.
3. Enamel.
Another great coating method would be using enamel. This involves fusing powdered glass into the metal.
Usually, enameling is used to decorate metal, although it can act as a protective shield that protects the silver from tarnishing. For the enamel to adhere, ensure the silver is clean and dust-free.
Transparent enamel colors work best for silver, and this can be achieved by fusing the two under high temperatures.
There are however, some brands with a spray can enamel, that’s much easier to apply. Simply follow the instructions on the can before spraying your silver with the enamel.
4. Renaissance Wax.
This is clear or invisible wax that’s normally used to protect metals from oxidation, including silver.
It is a great product that shields your silver from the air, water, or other conditions that would tarnish it. Two to three thin coats of wax are recommended for effective results.
Ensure you give time in between each coating for it to dry. Also, while applying the wax use gloves to avoid leaving fingerprint marks on the surface of the silver piece.
Cotton gloves are the best for this task. Like all wax, this product will wear off over time, so you will need to reapply maybe once or twice annually.
The frequency will depend on how often you wear your silver jewelry.
5. Lacquer.
This is another great coating product that would normally be used as finishing for wood but offers a great protective shield for your silver.
Before applying the lacquer ensure that the silver piece is clean and free of any dirt or rust. As you apply, do thin coatings at a time, the number of coating layers will depend on what you feel is necessary. The application is usually done by spraying, so ensure that the parts of the metal you don’t want to be coated are covered.
Blue painter’s tape would be the best for this. You can also use electrocoating which uses electrodeposition to coat a layer of organic lacquer onto your silver.
Lacquer can protect your silver for up to three years or longer if you properly take care of the jewelry.
6. Electroplating.
This is another great way of protecting your silver for a long time. This method involves also uses electric currents to coat a metal with another metal.
The electric current works by slightly dissolving the two metals forming a chemical bond between them. That is why this method of coating lasts longer than just applying sealants.
The coating layer formed is usually 0.0002” thick. You can electroplate silver with another layer of silver, this is known as silver plating. Another common one is rhodium plating.
Rhodium is known to be a durable metal and resistant to corrosion and tarnishing. It will also maintain and enhance the silvery-white appearance of your jewelry, unlike when plating with gold.
Not only does electroplating prevent tarnish, but its protective layer also reduces friction, preventing your silver pieces from wearing out quickly.
Conclusion
Even with these coating tips, remember that there are other measures you must take to ensure that your jewelry does not tarnish.
These include keeping the silver pieces away from water and harmful chemicals.
Also, ensure you store your silver jewelry properly in a dry and cool place, don’t just leave it lying around.
Remember silver can tarnish very quickly, so keep the tips we’ve shared with you in mind.
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.