The leather jewelry trend is hot right now, but what many people might not know is that leather and precious metals don't mix.

Learn why leather causes silver and jewelry tarnish...

A recent study revealed that the majority of anti tarnish products only begin absorbing corrosive gases when they are already present at toxic levels.

Learn how you may be wasting time and money on ineffective anti tarnish products:

If a manufacturer is able to categorize their chemicals as "trade secrets", they are not required to disclose the contents of their products.

With increasing environmental & health concerns, transparency and safety are more important then ever...

When it comes to storing precious metals like fine silver jewelry, some are not familiar with proper storage procedures, which can cause trouble later down the road. With that said, let's take a look at some frequently asked questions about proper jewelry packaging and answer them one-by-one!

CAN I JUST USE THE PACKAGING THE JEWELRY CAME IN?

It's not recommended. The sole purpose of the original jewelry packaging was just to make it easy to transport from the store to your home. The packaging wasn't designed to protect your jewelry from the elements and more than likely is just made of cardboard. However, you should store your jewelry in packaging that is equipped with anti-tarnish materials, whether you place an anti-tarnish tab in the original box or you place your jewelry in a sealed anti-tarnish zipper bag.

HOW DOES ANTI-TARNISH PACKAGING WORK?

When you create a microenvironment that contains special anti-tarnish materials, it will absorb the corrosive gases that contribute to jewelry tarnish. They react with and permanently neutralize the corrosive gases while eliminating the hazardous atmospheric conditions within the storage container.

ARE ANTI-TARNISH PRODUCTS ABRASIVE?

While the properties of the anti-tarnish material sound harsh, they do not damage jewelry because they are non-abrasive. Tabs, strips and other anti-tarnish materials can come in direct contract with the surfaces of your jewelry and leave no harm. Additionally, the anti-tarnish products do not leave behind any kind of residue, so your jewelry will look just as good from the day you placed it in storage to the day you take it out to wear it.

HOW LONG WILL THE PROTECTION LAST?

Depending on the storage container size and the amount of anti-tarnish materials placed with them, protection from tarnish and corrosion can last anywhere between 12+ months to 30 years of continuous safekeeping. On average, our anti-tarnish products last 1 to 3 years.

CAN I USE ANTI-TARNISH STRIPS, TABS OR PAPER IN MY JEWELRY BOX?

Yes! Anti-tarnish products can protect more than just one piece of jewelry and you can keep multiple pieces of silver jewelry tarnish-free by placing anti-tarnish products in your jewelry box. While the microenvironment won't be completely sealed because of the design of most jewelry boxes, it can provide many months of continuous protection.

WHEN SHOULD I REPLACE THE ANTI-TARNISH PRODUCTS?

When it's time to replace the Intercept^TM anti-tarnish product, it'll change to a dark gray or black when it begins to loose effectiveness, but if you swap it out with a new replacement, your precious metals will continue to be protected.

Protecting your jewelry from tarnish will help it maintain its' bright shine and reduces the likelihood of the metal weakening because corrosion can take a serious toll. 

Are you ready to celebrate National Jewel Day on March 13^th with the above ideas? Whether you are going to buy new jewelry or simply wear your favorite earrings, necklace or bracelets, make sure you keep them protected all year long with the proper care products that fight against tarnish and corrosion. Check out our inventory of anti-tarnish paper, anti-tarnish strips and all of our other anti-tarnish products to protect all your precious metals. Anti-tarnish products neutralize the corrosive gases and particles that cause unsightly tarnish. When you place them in your jewelry box or other silver jewelry storage container, it creates a microenvironment that will keep your jewelry protected and shiny!

For over a century, protective measures against corrosive gases in the atmosphere have been a major concern because certain methods weren't exactly turnkey solutions to prevent corrosion, tarnish and degradation. Some forms of corrosion protection included chemically coating or oiling the specific metal but as time goes on, this coating would simply wear away and no longer provide protection. Another form included the change of the pH properties of the metal which would affect overall performance. As time progressed, Intercept Technology^TMwas introduced as an effective anti-tarnish solution for metals like silver but how did this technology come to be?

Every day we are exposed to toxic chemicals that are within our atmosphere and the unfortunate reality of it is that our environment doesn't seem to be getting any better. With noxious fumes, harsh pollutants and other contaminates being released from manmade equipment and products, it's no doubt that these airborne toxins can affect the quality of the air. Even with the notable and globally observed Earth Day, an effort to reduce our impact on the environment needs to be greatly increased to lower the amounts of pollutants that enter the atmosphere.

Historical Flashback - 1795 Boston Time Capsule Opened

We go through life collecting memories, of times of people, sometimes all it takes is a part of a song, or the sight of some long forgotten trinket to allow memories to come cascading back into our conscience minds.  Times capsules are nothing new, but what they do give us is a glimpse of a time gone by, insight into what the people who so tenderly put away their memorabilia considered important or worthy of being saved for later generations.  We do not have them here to let us know why they saved particular items, but we are allowed new insights. 

There are many types of silver storage and jewelry packaging items available today. While their purpose may be the same, quality and efficiency are what separate the best from the rest. But do we really need tarnish prevention packaging? Retailers say yes, and they require it from their vendors! The trusted storage that retailers prefer is based on proven long-term, non-toxic protection that successfully prevents tarnish.

So how important is the tarnish prevention component of your jewelry packaging? It's extremely important because environmental corrosion is ever increasing and so are the challenges of keeping silver and other metal valuables from tarnishing under these worsening conditions. The rising amounts of H2S and other tarnish causing gases in the air affect all levels of the retail supply chain from jewelry manufacturing plants overseas to warehouses, safes, and display cases here in the U.S., right down to customers at home. For retailers, tarnished merchandise costs them money through vendor and customer returns and lost sales, especially in highly polluted regions like Asia and India where a lot of silver jewelry is manufactured. Retailers simply cannot afford to lose potential sales because their merchandise is not up to par.

So you've decided it is time to add sterling silver jewelry to your ever-growing collection but what is the best way to begin this journey? To start off, sterling silver jewelry offers you timeless elegance and with the proper care, it'll last for many generations to come. Before you head to a local jewelry store, there are some things to know before you're blinded by all those gorgeous pieces.