Tiffany jewelry is made of high-quality, beautiful, and lustrous sterling silver, which leaves you with classy and elegant pieces of jewelry.
The craftsmanship of Tiffany’s jewelry, as well as the use of high-quality sterling silver, are the top reasons for the success and the popularity of Tiffany and the jewelry by the brand. But the sterling silver jewelry by Tiffany comes with flaws, as is expected of any other sterling silver jewelry.
All sterling silver jewelry will get tarnished at some point, and the jewelry also gets scratches. The good news is that both these problems are reversible, and we’re sharing tips on how to remove scratches from the Tiffany jewelry in this piece. So, keep reading.
How to remove scratches from Tiffany jewelry
Since the establishment of the Tiffany brand in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has been dedicated to the best possible standards in terms of the designs of the jewelry, the craftsmanship, and the materials used. The standards used in jewelry creation by Tiffany have been passed down generations, and the designs of the jewelry is the reason why a piece of jewelry by Tiffany & Co. can be passed down from one generation to the next. And with the simplest steps taken in care and the preservation of the jewelry, you may enjoy wearing the jewelry for years.
But as mentioned above, Tiffany’s jewelry, even the finest designs, are imperfect, and they may get scratches. And with daily wear, pollution, and dust affecting the appearance of the jewelry, dulling the gemstones, and affecting the surface of the metals, you will notice that your jewelry will be scratchy after some time.
The scratches are not permanent, though, and since you might be wearing your sterling silver jewelry pretty much all the time or most of the time, the tips below will come in handy.
1. Use baking soda
The best way for you to remove the scratches from your Tiffany jewelry is by cleaning the jewelry using a paste made of baking soda and water. Generally, you’d need to polish and buff the sterling silver jewelry, but the baking soda paste is ideal for surface scratches. To use baking soda, follow these steps:
Mix at least one spoonful of baking soda with some drops of water until you have a smooth and thick paste. You have to ensure that the water is fully incorporated into the baking soda so that the paste is smooth and not grainy.
With the paste, take a pure cotton rag or a polishing cloth and apply your baking soda paste on the sterling silver piece. Gently rub the paste on the Tiffany piece, but add some vigor until the sterling silver piece starts to shine. You’d have to keep checking on the sterling silver piece to make sure that the scratches are fading or faded.
When satisfied with the outcome, polish it using a dry and clean pure cotton cloth or a polishing cloth. If there are scratches after the first cleaning session, you may want to repeat scratching it using more of the baking soda paste, then wipe it dry or polish it when done.
In case of deep scratches or gorges, you should consider taking the piece of Tiffany jewelry to a jewelry specialist for polishing using a specialty machine. In some cases, especially for scratches that are too deep, the jewelry repair specialists would have to add in a piece of sterling silver metal to disguise the deep scratches.
2. Warm water and mild detergent
In case of small or surface scratches, you can remove them easily by cleaning the sterling silver piece of jewelry. Just soak the sterling silver jewelry in a small or sizeable bowl with warm water, then add in some drops of the mild detergent soap.
Let the jewelry sit in for about 5 minutes, then use a soft-bristled brush to gently clean out the dirt and also the oils. Don’t be too aggressive when cleaning the sterling silver pieces because you don’t want to add any more scratches.
And once you’re done cleaning, rinse the jewelry in cold or warm water, then wipe it on a clean piece of microfiber or cotton cloth.
And when you’re satisfied, store jewelry in an airtight storage box or the storage pouch the jewelry came in originally.
3. Buffing cloth
If your sterling silver jewelry has too many scratches, you may have to use a jeweler buff to get rid of the scratches. The buffing material you choose to use and the process have to be done professionally.
The effectiveness of the buffing material comes from the fact that the polishing material is an abrasive that scrubs off the scratching, as well as the layer of tarnish.
Note that the next best alternative to the buffing cloth is a polishing cloth. The polishing cloth contains what’s known as the jeweler’s rouge that will get rid of the dullness and the scratches on the piece of jewelry.
The polishing cloth enhances the shine and the sparkle of the Tiffany jewelry. Some of the leading brand options for polishing cloths include Connoisseurs and Sunshine brands.
4. Aluminum, hot water, and baking soda
You can also get rid of the scratches by cleaning Tiffany’s sterling silver jewelry by soaking the jewelry in an aluminum-lined saucepan or baking tray, with hot water and baking soda added in and allowed to sit for a few minutes.
You could also add some vinegar, about a cup in the mixture – you will notice some bubbling, which means that the mixture is working.
The aluminum also increases the rate of tarnish and scratch removal. You may also want to use a soft-bristled brush to clean it. When done, rinse it, then polish the jewelry using a silver polishing cloth.
Conclusion
Wondering how to remove scratches from your Tiffany sterling silver jewelry? The recommendations above would go a long way in making sure that your jewelry maintains its shine and sparkle.
Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.