Sterling Silver Plating, Sterling Silver Jewellery Australia

Caring for Your Sterling Silver Jewellery

It’s a common misconception that ‘real’ silver jewellery doesn’t scratch or tarnish. Sterling silver (925) is a precious metal, and like all precious metals it is naturally softer than stainless steel or other non‑precious alloys. This means it can develop surface marks with wear, and it will oxidise (tarnish) over time. This is completely normal and part of the character of genuine silver.

With the right care, sterling silver develops a beautiful patina and will last for many years. Treat your jewellery well and it will reward you with a long life and a lustrous finish.

The staff from The Silver Store wear their silver jewellery every day, even during light exercise and showers, but we always follow these simple care tips to keep our pieces looking their best

1. Minimise Scratching

Avoid sleeping in your jewellery, it causes far more wear than most people realise.
Keep pendants separate so they don’t rub against each other.
Rings and bracelets naturally receive the most contact during wear, so surface marks are normal.
Avoid letting jewellery rub against zips, desks, gym equipment, or other hard surfaces.
Do not put jewellery in your mouth, teeth will scratch silver instantly.

2. Be Mindful When Layering

Stacking rings, bracelets or wearing multiple pendants on one chain will significantly increase wear and tear. This is normal for precious metals but important to keep in mind.

3. Store Your Jewellery Safely

Store jewellery somewhere secure and still when not wearing it.
Avoid handbags, gym bags and car glove boxes, pieces move around and scratch.
Keep silver in a cool, dry place, ideally in the soft pouch and zip‑lock bag it arrived in.
Do not store jewellery in the bathroom, moisture accelerates tarnish.
Store pieces individually so they don’t knock together.

4. Cleaning Your Silver

Clean with mild soap and water, then pat dry with a soft cloth.
For stubborn tarnish use our silver polishing cloths designed for precious metals.
Only use polishing cloths, tissues and paper towels contain fibres that can scratch silver.

5. Wear It Often

Silver tarnishes faster when left unworn. Wearing your jewellery regularly actually slows the oxidation process.

6. Avoid Chemicals

Remove your jewellery before:

swimming in chlorinated pools or spas
using household cleaners or bleach
applying perfumes, lotions, sunscreens or hair products
using acne treatments, AHA/BHA creams or exfoliating acids

7. Gold plated jewellery

Rose gold and yellow gold‑plated pieces require extra care as the plating is more delicate than solid silver. You can find our plating care tips here.

8. Warranty

The Silver Store warranty covers manufacturing faults only. Normal wear, including scratches, tarnish, link breakage, and changes in appearance, is expected with delicate precious‑metal sterling silver jewellery and is not covered.

FAQ

How Long Does it take for delivery

Delivery time is generally under 5 workings days for orders that include engraved items for delivery within Australia.

Please note during two weeks prior to our busiest periods of Christmas, Valentines, Mother’s and Fathers day it is best to allow some extra time.

See our delivery page for more details and cut off dates.

what is the cost of delivery

Shipping is $9.50 for parcel post and $14.00 for Express Post. For more information on shipping please see our delivery page.

Are orders engraved and sent from Australia?

We are an Australian small business and engrave all items in-house and ship from Australia.

does the silver store offer engraving?

Yes! We can engrave almost anything. It's easy to order just choose the items you want engraved and you can add text, symbols or even a photo. We even engrave fingerprints, paw prints, handwriting or logos. We will position nicely and remove background where necessary.

Can I pick up my order?

We are online only and do not do pickups.

Will the engraved pendant look exactly like my design?

The design preview on our website will help you picture what your engraving will look like. Please note that this is a drawing not an engraving. Our engraver will endeavour to match your design closely but it will not be exactly the same. In general, the engraving will be centralised on the product unless specifically requested. We have years of engraving experience and will endeavour to make your design look it's best.