Sterling silver is a metal containing at least 92.5% silver. This is the legal standard of purity set by the Assay Offices in Britain and used for most silver jewellery throughout the world. It means that the metal used is of a specific quality. Pure silver is never used as it is too soft to be practical. Sterling silver does tarnish naturally over time but can be cleaned very easily. Be sure to clean the silver only, and avoid excessive contact with any stones, particularly pearls and soft stones such as opals and emeralds, as polishing may cause damage to the stones. Try to avoid chemicals (perfumes, hairspray etc), wearing your items whilst showering or doing any heavy manual work, as this will increase tarnish build up. Remember silver is a very soft metal and you can scratch it if you aren’t careful so don’t rub it too briskly. Paper, polyester and coarse fabrics often contain wood fibres or synthetics that can cause tiny scratches on the surface of your fine sterling silver jewellery.
For light cleaning: To remove light dirt, fingerprints or makeup just use a small amount of mild liquid detergent to a 1/2 cup of warm water and rinse thoroughly with clean fresh water. (Remember; be careful because too harsh a cleanser could damage the polish on the stones.) Dry it completely before storing it and polish it up with a soft polishing cloth such as a clean 100% cotton (nub free) or flannel cloth, a special sterling silver cleaning cloth or very soft bristle brush, like a babies toothbrush or a horsehair silver brush to remove light scratches from regular wear and tear. You will be surprised how quickly the shine will return.
Silver should be kept absolutely dry. If you wear your sterling silver jewellery frequently, when storing keep it away from excessive exposure to air and place it in a tarnish-proof cloth such as a flannel pouch. If your climate is humid, place a small packet of desiccant crystals where the silver is stored, whether it is a closed box or a flannel roll.