Native American turquoise jewelry is popular among jewelry lovers. The value of this type of jewelry is skyrocketing and Native Americans have been perfecting their art of making turquoise jewelry in unique styles ever since they learned how to make silver jewelry from the Spanish more than a century ago. They passed down their artistic tradition from one generation to the next and till this day, they have been known worldwide for their unique jewelry style – the combination of silver and turquoise, which signifies the fusion of the secular and the sacred. Now, if you are privileged to own a piece of jewelry made from turquoise and silver, it is important to know how to take good care of your jewelry.

Wear and care

You should wear your jewelry often. The oils from your skin are the best friend to jewelry and can keep your jewelry alive and healthy. You should, however, take off your jewelry when doing chores or before you go sunbathing or swimming. Any substances that contain sulfur will cause silver to tarnish and corrode, including sweat, household chemicals, latex, rubber, wool, chlorinated water, and food items such as eggs, mayonnaise, onions and so on. Direct sunlight will also tarnish the silver. You should keep your jewelry away from creams, lotions, perfumes, cosmetics, and hair sprays since these products will accelerate tarnishing.

Store properly

Moisture and air are enemies of silver. You should therefore store your pieces of jewelry in sealable plastic bags in dark, cool and dry places. Push out as much air as possible before you close the seal. When storing Native American Jewelry, you should keep some activated charcoals, camphor, and chalks in the storage area to minimize moisture. You need to ensure that you do not put multiple pieces of jewelry in the same bag since they can scratch each other. If you have worn or stored your silver pieces of jewelry perfectly, they will still get tarnished over time. That is not the end of the world. You can still bring your jewelry back to life through polishing.

Polishing

You can polish your jewelry using a special piece of silver cloth if the tarnishing is not severe. You can also use a microfiber, free flannel, or other soft non-abrasive cloth. This is the way to go when dealing with oxidized silver. Most turquoise jewelry is made of oxidized silver. This means that parts of the jewelry are intentionally tarnished and darkened by silversmiths so that they appear 3D and stand out more. When you do excessive polishing, you will damage this detailing. When polishing, it is important to ensure you use back and forth long motions instead of rubbing your jewelry in circles to prevent magnifying the existing scratches.

Homemade cleaners

When polishing is not enough to get rid of tarnish from your silver Native American turquoise jewelry, you should try soap and water, baking soda paste, ketchup or lemon juice and olive oil. You should thoroughly rinse your jewelry with running water after using any cleaner in case it sticks in tiny cracks and harden.