Care and re-polishing
Tarnish is ordinary chemistry, not damage. Here is how to slow it, how to remove it, and what we will do for free.
What tarnish is
Silver reacts with sulphur-bearing compounds in the air to form silver sulphide, a very thin dark film on the surface. It reads first as a yellow cast, then brown, then near-black. The metal underneath is unchanged.
Humidity, cooking fumes, rubber, wool and some papers and cardboards all speed it up, because they carry or release sulphur. A piece kept on an open shelf near a kitchen darkens far faster than the same piece in a closed drawer.
Storing it
- Keep it dry and keep the air out. The pouch it came in, sealed, does most of the work.
- Away from rubber bands, wool and cardboard.
- One piece per pouch, so surfaces do not rub.
- Handle with clean dry hands.
Cleaning it
For a light film, a soft dry cloth. For more, warm water and a plain mild soap, then dry it completely — moisture trapped in a crevice is what brings tarnish back fastest.
Do not use abrasive pastes, toothpaste, baking soda scrubs or scouring pads. They remove tarnish by removing silver, and on a polished face or a raised relief the scratching does not come out. Send it to us instead.
The 12-month re-polish
Every piece carries one free professional re-polish within twelve months of purchase, at our counter. Bring or ship the piece with the invoice. Shipping is at your cost; the work is not.
Repairs, dent removal and re-finishing after damage are quoted separately, and we will tell you the price before starting.
Questions
- Does tarnish mean the silver is impure?
- No. Pure silver tarnishes too. Tarnish is a reaction with sulphur compounds in the air, not a sign of alloy — although copper-alloyed silver does tarnish faster, because the copper accelerates it.
- Does tarnish reduce the weight or value?
- No. It is a surface film a few molecules thick. The silver is still there and the piece still weighs what it weighed.
- What is covered by the 12-month re-polish?
- Removing tarnish and restoring the original finish, free, once in the first twelve months. It does not cover dents, deep scratches, re-plating or repairs, which are quoted separately.
More on the chemistry in why silver tarnishes.