Silver tarnishes. Every piece of it, everywhere, always has. Tarnish is not damage and it is not a sign of low quality — it is silver reacting with sulphur in the air, and it lifts off in about four minutes.
The four-minute fix
Warm water, one drop of plain dish soap, a soft toothbrush worked gently into the pattern, rinse, then dry completely with a soft cloth. Water left sitting in a crevice is what causes the next round of tarnish. For a plain silver surface that has gone properly grey, a real silver polishing cloth beats anything sold in a bottle.
What will destroy a piece
- Silver dip. On a plain chain, fine. On polki, jadau or meenakari, it seeps behind the foil and under the enamel and the damage cannot be undone.
- Ultrasonic cleaners. Same reasoning, faster.
- Chlorine and salt water. Both attack sterling and loosen lac settings. Take rings off before a pool or the sea.
- Perfume and hairspray. Last on, first off — jewellery goes on after everything else.
Storage is most of the battle
Tarnish needs air. The velvet pouch your piece arrived in, closed inside a box, cuts that off almost entirely. Add a strip of anti-tarnish paper and you can leave a piece for a year and find it as it went in. Never leave pieces loose in a drawer together — silver scratches silver.
When to hand it back to us
A stone that moves when you touch it, a bent band, enamel that has chipped: stop wearing it and send us a photo. Professional cleaning and re-polishing of any SUTRA piece is free for life, and repairs are charged at cost. Full care and repair details →