Silver tarnishes. That's not a defect, it's just what silver does when it meets air and moisture, and it happens to every piece eventually, ours included. The good news is that keeping it looking the way it did the day you bought it is mostly about a few small habits, not constant maintenance.

One. Keep it dry, and keep it away from products.

Perfume, lotion, and sunscreen are the biggest culprits behind premature tarnish and dulling. The easiest fix is the oldest advice in jewellery care: put your piece on last, after everything else, and take it off before you shower, swim, or sleep if you can. Sweat and humidity speed up tarnish too, so if you've had an active day, it's worth giving your piece a quick wipe before you put it away.

Two. Store it properly, not just anywhere.

Air and light both contribute to tarnish over time. A closed pouch or a lined jewellery box does more than an open dish on your dresser, even if the open dish looks nicer. If you're storing a piece for a while, a small anti-tarnish strip or even a piece of chalk in the box helps absorb moisture.

Three. Clean it gently, and clean it regularly.

A soft polishing cloth, the kind made for silver specifically, is the safest way to bring back shine without wearing down any plating or detail. For pieces with stones or delicate charms, a light touch matters more than a thorough scrub. Little and often beats an intense clean every six months.

The one thing everyone gets wrong: reaching for toothpaste, baking soda, or an aggressive DIY cleaning hack found online. These are abrasive enough to scratch the metal and can damage stones, coatings, and finishes that a proper silver cloth won't touch. If a piece needs more than a polish, bring it in and we'll take a look. It's a five-minute fix most of the time.

Treated well, silver develops a soft, lived-in look rather than a dull one, and that's part of what makes a piece feel like yours rather than new.