Antique silver is beautiful, and for you to take good care of it, you have to know how it reacts to various natural conditions. The best thing is that it can be restored and kept looking elegant as long as it is not destroyed. Pure silver cannot be used to create jewelry or tableware, it’s too soft, and so most of these products are made using antique sterling silver, which is an alloy of silver and copper. It contains not less than 92.5% of silver and 7.5% of copper, but in some cases, copper may be replaced with another metal. Silver and gold are the two most precious metals commonly used in making jewelry.
Always take care of silver first
When silver is mixed with another material to make jewelry, furniture or tableware, you should take care of the silver first. Where possible detach the silver part and clean it separately. Before you start cleaning your antique silver, make sure you cover the surface with a clean, soft cloth to avoid anything that can tarnish your sterling silver trophy or any other silverware
Do not clean your silver in the dishwasher
Brush off any dust on your silver plated tea sets and any dirt stuck on the surface. Wire wool should never be among your cleaning items and always put on a pair of gloves when handling your silverware. Clean your silver with a soft cloth and water then rinse and use a paper towel to dry them. Avoid washing your sterling tray with the dishwasher
Keep your silver dry
Silver is not safe with water because the water we use daily is not pure. It contains contaminants and chemicals that will tarnish your silver. Remove your antique silver jewellery before you step into the shower, get into a swimming pool or the hot tub. Water that contains chlorine will ruin your jewelry. Besides, keep perfumes and deodorants away from your silver collection.
Proper storage
Whether it’s a sterling tray or a sterling trophy, you should store it appropriately. You should not leave your antique silver exposed on your nightstand or the kitchen table. Keep jewelry in airtight bags and keep each separately.
Conclusion
For your antique silver to look great all the time, always clean it immediately after use. This especially important for your silver tea set with tray if you take any food containing salt, vinegar, condiments or eggs. It may cause tarnishing, if you leave unclean for long. Do the same with jewellery to avoid ugly tarnishing.