One of the questions I get asked most often is "How do I keep my sterling silver jewelery as shiny as when I buy it? Believe it or not the answer is pretty simple. Wear it and enjoy it; the more you wear it the cleaner it will stay.
Pure silver is too soft a material to use in most applications, so copper is mixed with fine silver to create sterling silver (7.5% copper 92.5%silver, by weight). It is the copper in sterling silver that oxidizes when it comes into contact with air, and that is what causes shiny silver jewelery to begin to blacken almost immediatly. The oils on your skin create a natural barrier between the silver and the air around it, allowing it to tarnish and a much slower rate than it would otherwise. This principle of "keep the air out" applies to your sterling silver jewelery at all times. When you are not wearing you silver, keep it in an airless location if at all possible.
This is easier to do then you think. Wipe your jewelery with a soft, lint free cloth to remove any fingerprints. Wrap your sterling silver in any acid free piece of tissue, then slip it into a plastic bag. All of my sterling silver pieces come complete with anti-tarnish strips/pouches work by subtly altering the air within them and slowing the oxidation considerably, and thus are another great solution.
Other than that sterling silver needs very little care. Tarnish build up can be removed with a store brand silver polish or polishing cloth.
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