All of my items are designed, drilled and handcrafted by me.
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I use sterling silver wire and 14K/20 gold filled wire and components, and other materials as noted.
Sterling silver:
- Over time, sterling silver can tarnish, but the good news is that it cleans up very nicely.
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If there is little to no tarnish on your jewelry, you can easily clean it in warm water with a little dish soap. Rinse, pat and leave dry. If there is any tarnish to remove, a good polishing cloth is my first choice. A liquid jewelry cleaner can also be used according to directions but can be harsh compared to a cloth.
Gold filled:
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Gold filled materials are tarnish resistant, meaning that it can take a long time before you notice any changes. I like to use gold filled wire and other materials with freshwater pearls for example which usually require a special jewelry cleaner. For a light cleaning, warm water and dish soap will also work for gold filled items.
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My preferred way to clean all of my jewelry is to use a good jewelry polishing cloth which not only removes tarnish and brings back the brilliance of the silver, but also helps the silver stay tarnish free longer. Some of these cloths can have a really strong smell to them, which I avoid but a few years ago I found one I really like that does not smell and does a great job of bringing back the shine.