Why silver tarnishes, and what to do about it
Tarnish is silver reacting with sulphur compounds in the air to form a thin dark film of silver sulphide. It is a surface change, not corrosion, and it comes off.
Silver reacts with sulphur-bearing compounds in ordinary air. The reaction forms silver sulphide, a very thin film that reads first as a yellow cast, then brown, then near-black. It is a surface film, not rust: the metal underneath is unchanged, and the piece has not lost weight in any way you could measure on a normal scale.
Humidity, cooking fumes, rubber bands, wool, and some papers and cardboards all speed it up because they carry or release sulphur. This is why a piece left out in a kitchen darkens faster than the same piece in a drawer.
Slowing it down
Store the piece dry, in the anti-tarnish pouch it came in, with the air kept out. A sealed bag with the air pressed out does most of the work. Keep it away from rubber, wool and open shelving near a kitchen.
Handle clean and dry. Skin oils and sweat are not the main cause, but they hold onto what is.
Taking it off
A soft dry cloth handles a light film. For more, warm water with a plain mild soap, then dry completely — moisture left in a crevice is what brings it back fastest.
Do not use abrasive pastes, toothpaste or a scouring pad. They take off tarnish by taking off silver, and on a polished or relief surface the marks do not come out. Send it to us instead: every piece carries twelve months of free re-polishing.