Sterling silver jewelry is durable though still needs to be taken care of when wearing your pieces. Turquoise is stable to light but high heat can cause surface damage or discoloration as well as blows to the turquoise stone itself can lead to chipping, cracking or loss of stones all together.
Tarnishing is a natural chemical process that occurs when sterling silver is exposed to oxygen, the higher the humidity will make the tarnishing occur at a faster rate. Jewelry should be kept out of the bathroom as this will speed up the tarnishing process at an even faster rate.
This is the dark to black color that shows up or makes the piece looked aged. It is not to be confused with the oxidized areas on a piece that were done on purpose by the artist. The best way to prevent tarnishing is keeping pieces in a dry room in an airtight bag or container. The more you wear your pieces this will keep the oxidization at bay as well.
Have no fear if your pieces start to oxidize use a soft cloth and light pressure to buff your piece back to its original shine. We suggest the Sunshine Polishing Cloths that are available for purchase. Turquoise is safe to clean with warm, soapy water only when needed. It should never be cleaned with steam or ultrasonic cleaners. Heat or solvents can damage the treated surfaces.