There are a couple of simple, easy ways to prevent your silver pieces developing that dull grey / black appearance.

Tarnish is a layer of corrosion that develops over silver as it undergoes oxidation. It is mainly caused by chemicals in the air such as sulphur. It appears as a gray or black film over the metal.

While some silver is deliberately oxidized or antiqued as part of the design process as seen in a lot of Bali silver components most people would prefer their bright silver to remain as it looked when they bought it.

Always keep your silver in an airtight bag as high humidy increases tarnishing. The Ziplock type that you can buy in your local supermarket are ideal (use one for each item) and are also a good way to keep your chains from becoming entangled. Sunlight also speeds up the tarnishing process so best to keep your jewellery stored away in a drawer or box.

If you get cosmetics on your jewellery, always wash off with warm water that has a tiny amount of mild liquid soap added, rinse and dry with a piece of kitchen towel and then polish with a soft cloth before storing away.

If you have a piece of tarnished silver an easy way to get rid of the tarnish is to line a non metallic bowl with aluminium cooking foil, lay your jewellery on the foil, sprinkle over a heaped teaspoon of baking soda and then cover with hot water. Leave it for a minute or two and then use a wooden spoon to retrieve your silver. If it is still tarnished return to the water, add a little more baking soda and wait another minute or two. Rinse in warm water, pat dry with a piece of kitchen towel and then polish with a soft cloth before storing away. Do not use this method if there are pearls or gemstones in your jewellery. There are also silver dips that you can use to remove tarnish but I personally find these extremely toxic and prefer the greener option of hot water and baking soda. If the tarnish is very heavy it is best to take it to a professional jeweller who can remove it for you.

For the finishing touch you can also buy a special polishing cloth that is impregnated with a cleaner that restores dull silver to a beautiful shine. They are relatively inexpensive, usually cost no more than €5-7 and can be purchased on Ebay - search for 'silver polishing cloth'.