How to keep sterling silver bright

Sterling silver does not lose its shine because it is low quality. It darkens because the metal reacts with sulphur in the air and with moisture on the skin. This surface change is called tarnish, and it is completely reversible. If you understand why it happens, keeping your jewellery bright takes almost no effort.

Wear it often

The single best thing you can do for a silver piece is to wear it. The natural oils in your skin keep the surface moving and slow the buildup that forms when jewellery sits still in a drawer. Pieces you rotate through every week almost never need a deep clean. If you are building a small set of everyday pieces, our thoughts on that are in building a small jewellery wardrobe you actually wear.

Keep it away from water and chemicals

Take your jewellery off before you shower, swim, wash dishes, or clean the house. Chlorine, salt water, and household cleaners speed up tarnish and can pit the surface over time. Perfume, hairspray, and lotion should go on first and dry fully before your jewellery goes on.

Store it dry and sealed

When a piece is resting, keep it in a sealed pouch or a small zip bag with the air pressed out. Add a silica sachet if you live somewhere humid. Storing pieces separately also stops harder stones from scratching softer settings. Every Vrisha order ships in a pouch made for exactly this.

Cleaning at home

For light tarnish, a few minutes with the polishing cloth in your order box brings the shine back. For heavier buildup, warm water, a drop of gentle dish soap, and a soft toothbrush will lift most of it. Dry the piece completely before you put it away. Avoid silver dips and abrasive pastes, since they strip a thin layer of metal each time and can damage oxidised detailing.

When to let us handle it

Any Vrisha piece can come back to us for a free polish for as long as you own it. Chains that have knotted, clasps that feel loose, and settings that need checking are all things we would rather see early. Details on how that works are on our care guide, and the practical questions about turnaround and postage are answered on the FAQ page.

Silver is a living material. Cared for simply, a piece you buy now will still look right in ten years. That is the whole idea behind our fine silver collection.