Product Care
We want you to LOVE wearing your 10STERLING jewellery, enjoy showing it off and get years of satisfaction from owning it. Please therefore read our recommendations for care so that you get the most from your purchase.
Caring for silver
All sterling silver products tarnish and lose their shine when they’re exposed to air. Sometimes this happens quickly, sometimes it’s slow but it will usually happen at some point. In fact, if a silver product doesn't tarnish then it may not be made from silver. Tarnishing causes the silver to become dark and dull looking. This is completely natural and is easily remedied through regular care. To keep your silver looking at its best, follow these simple steps.
Regularly clean your sterling silver item by first removing the metal chain or cord. Then wash it by rubbing it with your fingers, or a soft cloth, in a solution of mild liquid soap and water. Washing up liquid is perfect for this. This will remove the oils that come from wearing it next to your skin. Rinse it thoroughly and dry. Then polish using a special impregnated silver cleaning cloth. It’s easier, and keeps your silver dog tag looking shinier longer if this is done regularly, ideally every week. Special impregnated silver cleaning cloths are available from the Care & Accessories link at the top of this page. These cloths should never be washed or they’ll lose the silver cleaning compounds with which they’re treated.
If the silver dog tag isn't worn for an extended period it can become very dull or discoloured. In this case it may be easier to use a cleaning solution specially developed for silver such as Goddard’s Silver Dip or Hagerty Silver Clean. These products are widely available from High Street jewellers or from online shops. The advantage of a liquid product is that it very quickly removes tarnish from all areas of the silver surface though it should be used sparingly and only when the item is badly tarnished. After immersion, the silver dog tag and silver chain should be thoroughly rinsed in clean water and dried with a soft cloth. Finally, buff to a bright shine with an impregnated silver cloth.
Do NOT use harsh abrasives or cleaning compounds (e.g. bleach) or stiff brushes to clean your silver tag or silver chain as this can scratch the surfaces, damage the raised lettering of the tag and degrade the silver dog tag's appearance.
The above instructions apply equally to sterling silver chains. However, for leather cords, stainless steel chains and gold-plated silver pendants please read on….
Regularly clean your sterling silver item by first removing the metal chain or cord. Then wash it by rubbing it with your fingers, or a soft cloth, in a solution of mild liquid soap and water. Washing up liquid is perfect for this. This will remove the oils that come from wearing it next to your skin. Rinse it thoroughly and dry. Then polish using a special impregnated silver cleaning cloth. It’s easier, and keeps your silver dog tag looking shinier longer if this is done regularly, ideally every week. Special impregnated silver cleaning cloths are available from the Care & Accessories link at the top of this page. These cloths should never be washed or they’ll lose the silver cleaning compounds with which they’re treated.
If the silver dog tag isn't worn for an extended period it can become very dull or discoloured. In this case it may be easier to use a cleaning solution specially developed for silver such as Goddard’s Silver Dip or Hagerty Silver Clean. These products are widely available from High Street jewellers or from online shops. The advantage of a liquid product is that it very quickly removes tarnish from all areas of the silver surface though it should be used sparingly and only when the item is badly tarnished. After immersion, the silver dog tag and silver chain should be thoroughly rinsed in clean water and dried with a soft cloth. Finally, buff to a bright shine with an impregnated silver cloth.
Do NOT use harsh abrasives or cleaning compounds (e.g. bleach) or stiff brushes to clean your silver tag or silver chain as this can scratch the surfaces, damage the raised lettering of the tag and degrade the silver dog tag's appearance.
The above instructions apply equally to sterling silver chains. However, for leather cords, stainless steel chains and gold-plated silver pendants please read on….
If you’ve chosen one of our leather products (necklace, bracelet or cord) then we strongly recommend that it’s kept out of water. It should be removed before you bath, shower or swim as repeated immersion will cause it to lose its natural oils and dry out. Drying out causes the cord to lose strength which means its less supple and flexible and that it can break more easily. When it needs cleaning, the leather cord should be wiped with a soft damp cloth, without soap or cleaners, and then wiped dry with a soft cloth. The closures on our necklaces and bracelets are made from stainless steel and they can be cleaned with a damp cloth. The clasp on the 3.0mm leather cord cord is made from sterling silver. To keep it bright and shiny this should be cleaned by rubbing it against an impregnated silver polishing cloth, available from 10STERLING or from many other jewellery suppliers.
Stainless Steel neckwear, wristwear & rings
Our stainless steel neck, wristwear and rings are hard wearing and are unaffected by repeated exposure to water. If your stainless steel product becomes very dirty it may be cleaned with a soft brush and soapy water without causing damage. It should not, however, be immersed in harsh domestic cleaning solutions (e.g. bleach) which can affect the surface appearance.
Tungsten Carbide, Titanium & Zirconium rings
Tungsten carbide is a hard material but like every other metal, it's not scratch proof and care should be taken, as with all our rings, to keep it away from rough materials that can scratch it. Such materials include the exposed ceramic bases of coffee mugs or building materials. Don't expose your rings to these materials. Other than that there are no special care requirements for tungsten. Similar recommendations apply to titanium and zirconium.
Gilding Metal and Brass
Our El Dorado dog tags and brass chains WILL tarnish. But there's nothing to worry about when they do because it's totally natural and they can be easily cleaned. When they lose their shine and get dark first use a liquid soap to remove the skin oils etc. Then use the included brass polishing cloth to remove the tarnish and buff with a soft cotton cloth. If you want to quickly remove the tarnish then pure lemon juice is an effective way to so do followed by the brass cloth and a buff with a soft cotton cloth. There are also a range of branded polishes too and Brasso works extremely very well to clean and restore shine.
Got a question?
If we haven't managed to answer your question then please email us. Please see the details on our Contact Us page.
If we haven't managed to answer your question then please email us. Please see the details on our Contact Us page.
