# ? Safely cleaning silver and marcasite ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safely-cleaning-silver-and-marcasite/100534 "2002-03-28T07:40:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@bwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwk)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safely-cleaning-silver-and-marcasite/100534/1 "2002-03-28T07:40:12Z")
What is the best method to use to clean sterling silver with marcasite? I found a pair of earrings I misplaced long ago, and there is a yellow-ish tarnish spot on one that I’d like to remove. I did an online search, but all of the iformational sites were selling their own specific cleaners, dips and cloths. That’s good business, I’m sure, but I would like to clean these and wear them this weekend. What methods are best? In the tarnished spot, the little marcasite stone is gone, so I don’t have to worry about it coming ‘unglued’. The pair need a little shining up all over. Thanks, Bethany ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safely-cleaning-silver-and-marcasite/100534/2 "2002-03-28T08:06:39Z")
What I have used with silver I got in Mexico is a paste made up of baking soda (not baking powder) and water. Mix it up so it is fairly thick, then use a soft old toothbrush and scoop the paste up and scrub. Get the tarnish off, rinse, dry. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safely-cleaning-silver-and-marcasite/100534/3 "2002-03-28T13:25:03Z")
Baking Soda, Salt, and aluminum foil(in pieces). Make paste with mixture. Rub in on. Hold your nose since the tarnish is sulfur based and makes hydrogen sulfide gas. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safely-cleaning-silver-and-marcasite/100534/4 "2002-03-28T23:50:00Z")
Try this link here, Bethany: [About Cleaning Sterling Silver and Marcasite Jewelry](http://www.landofodds.com/cleansil.htm) ---
**Author:** ![bwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@bwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwk)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safely-cleaning-silver-and-marcasite/100534/5 "2002-03-30T06:06:32Z")
thanks to everyone who posted. My earrings look faaaabulous now. I used the past of baking soda and aluminum foil bits, and a soft toothbrush. None of the marcasite stones came loose. I did scrub a little too much over the tarnished spot, and took off some of the black ‘antiquing’ that they put around marcasite. But it still looks better than tarnish. I tried just rubbing the silver with a soft cloth, and the dullness looked back at me, saying, …and your point is…? Thanks again for the help. This place is so great. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safely-cleaning-silver-and-marcasite/100534/6 "2002-03-30T14:51:28Z")
effort free cleaning of silver, gold, brass etc. requires washing soda cyrstals ( the strong stuff, not bicarb), hot water, aluminium foil. place foil shiny side up in bowl, add hot water and generous handful of crystals. add metal items. sit back, relax. take them out in 1/2 and hour. dry’em. job done. works on everything, as long as you don’t have pearls in there. they melt.