Possessing Gorham sterling silver pieces in your collection is indeed something to be proud of. The quality and beauty of this prestigious manufacturer had never depreciates through time. Maintaining its elegance with the proper care should be done regularly in order to avoid deterioration and tarnishing.
Gorham silver makes wonderful sterling silver flatware and holloware pieces; one of the most impressive collections that have inspired people are their teas sets. They were designed with a lot of beautiful details; in fact one of the designs became part of the history. Mary Todd Lincoln had purchased an impressive tea set which was used in the White House in 1859. The tea service was presented to the national Museum of American History. That is how valuable a Gorham piece is; therefore it deserves a proper cleaning to maintain its beauty.
A properly maintained sterling silver collection will always be a source of enjoyment. This article will provide you the different tips of how to clean silver sterling tea sets and other silver pieces.
A common problem with Gorham sterling silver or any other fine silver pieces is tarnish. This is caused by contact with sulfur compounds in air. It is also aggravated by wool, felt, fossil fuels, rubber bands. Latex gloves and even foods like eggs, onions, and mayonnaise. Tarnish formation occurs fast in a humid environment. Even oily salts from fingers may cause corrosion pattern that needs to be removed by a professional.
In washing a silver piece you have to be gentle and make sure to dry it immediately. You can use a non-lemon-scented phosphate-free detergent and soft cotton dish towel to dry it. While washing do not allow contact of the pieces to the metal sink because this will cause scratching.
Once you had noticed a yellowish tint, you have to be alarmed because tarnish is starting to develop. This is the best time to intervene because as it turns light brown to black, the difficulty of removing it increases. You can check on an early tarnish formation by viewing the object against a white piece of paper. Once you see a very light tarnish you can use Windex with vinegar or a liquid non-abrasive, unscented, aloe vera hand sanitizer. By using a cotton ball, rotate it gently and regularly to the exposed unused surfaces then dry the piece with a cotton dish towel. This is so far the least abrasive technique of cleaning a silver piece.
Once your Gorham sterling silver becomes more tarnished you will need to use a commercial silver cleaner. There are some available in the market that offers tarnish protection. It is essential to use the least abrasive product. Polishes that come in liquid that are washed off can be less abrasive because of their ability to suspend the polishing ingredients.
Always make sure to keep your polish container closed and never use a product that had dried up. The content of the dried polish becomes concentrated and may damage your silver piece. It is never advisable to use steel wool, scouring pads, and dips because they tend to be very abrasive.
If you noticed a purple stain in your set after cleaning do not mistake it as tarnish. Removing such stain might actually depreciate the value of your Gorham sterling silver. The purple stain is called a fire stain, it is an oxidized copper that can be found on pre-colonial until early 20th century pieces. This fire stain may not show up until several years of polishing and you can consult with a restoration silversmith to make the right decision about your pieces.
It is very important to take note that toothpaste should not be used in cleaning your silver piece because some may contain baking sodas that can be extremely abrasive. You need to use polishes that are specific for removal of tarnish from silver.
Having valuable possessions like a Gorham sterling silver needs some attention and maintenance. It is a must to take care of them because their value increases as they grow older. It is an easy, can even be enjoyable to do so. There is no doubt that having fine silver pieces will bring you joy for years to come.
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Sterling Silver Pendants
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