How to Deal With Ring Tarnish

If your ring is tarnishing or turning black, it is either sterling silver or silver plated. Tarnishing is a common reaction when silver is exposed to the air and fortunately, it's easily removed. However, if you store your silver rings in a specially lined jewelry box or bag made for silver jewelry, you will not have to deal with cleaning tarnished jewelry as frequently as you would otherwise.

Instructions

1

Clean the ring with soap and water to remove the tarnish. Use a soft toothbrush or cloth and carefully scrub or rub the tarnish off the ring. Use approximately 1/2 cup of water mixed with two or three drops of a mild liquid dishwashing detergent. Rinse the ring in cold water and dry it with a clean rag. If the ring is still tarnished, proceed to one of the next steps.

2

Remove the tarnish with a silver jewelry cleaner or polish. If it doesn't have its own cloth, use a soft, lint-free rag. Use just a dab of cleaner and rub the tarnish off with the cloth or rag. If you have a polishing cloth that is pretreated with a silver cleaner, you do not need a separate cleaner. Note that silver cleaners contain acids, according to Seattle Times, so you should not soak your jewelry in it. Rinse your ring in cold water and dry it with a separate clean rag.

3

Mix baking soda and water together to make a paste, which also works well to remove tarnish from silver jewelry and can be used instead of a commercial cleaning product. According to Good Housekeeping, use three parts baking soda and one part water. Put a dab of paste on a clean, soft cloth and rub the jewelry clean. As the tarnish transfers to the rag, dab another clean area with the cleaner and continue cleaning. Buff the ring with a clean area of the rag when finished.