Platinum is one of rarest and most durable precious metals. It does not tarnish or get discolored from chlorine. Even though it is very tough you still need to take good care of your platinum jewelry. Store it separately because platinum can be scratched. Platinum can be cleaned in same manner as other fine jewelry.

Your silver jewelry tarnishes when exposed to air. This occurs more quickly in damp and foggy weather and even sunshine, but is inevitable in any climate. Tarnish first appears as a golden hue on your sterling silver then turns to black. Always store in treated paper or cloth, or plastic zip lock bags made of Mylar (turkey cooking bags) or polyethylene. Some plastic contains sulfur compounds which can cause tarnish faster. Never use polyvinyl plastic bags. Tiny zip-lock bags work great for each individual piece. Don't store sterling silver jewelry on wood surfaces as wood usually contains acids that can mar finish. Also avoid storing silver with other metals like pennies and rubber. Don't wear rubber gloves when washing or polishing silver because rubber promotes tarnish. Dry and polish silver with a soft cloth, not paper towels. You can use a baby tooth brush or a horsehair silver brush but stays away from paper, polyester and course fabrics that contain wood fibers as this can scratch your silver. Ordinary toothpaste is a good, quick cleaner but is mainly recommended for gold, not silver. If you don't want to rub silver (or you're uncomfortable working with acid), make a dip using baking soda, aluminum foil and hot water. Place a 2' length of aluminum foil into a plastic bucket, and pour 1/2 gallon of hot water over it. Then pour a cup of fresh baking soda into water (if soda is fresh, it will begin foaming). Submerge a piece of silver in water, and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. Then pull out silver, rinse it, and allow it to dry.

For a more of a heavy duty cleaner get a pickle jar and combine one inch of cleaning detergent (like Top Job or Mr. Clean), one inch of dish washing liquid and one inch of ammonia. Fill rest of container with water. Shake well, heat in microwave and pour into an old pot and simmer on stove. Put your silver or gold into solution and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Remove from solution and rinse with water. Dry well.

About the Author: Elizabeth Ann Scaling Tucker is a retired grandmother of 5. She retired after 35 1/2 years with the Department of Defense. In her retirement years, she is a grandchild sitter and an assistant webmaster for family websites. You can see one of the websites at http://www.diamondengagementweddingrings.com/

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