Start

WHAT CONSERVATORS SAY

Keep the shine
on your silver.

Tarnish is silver meeting sulphur.

Silver rings, a fine chain and a bangle resting on a pale linen cloth beside a window in soft daylight — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Sulphur gases in the air, salts from our skin, wool, rubber and damp all darken silver. Museum conservators slow it down first and polish as little as they can.

STORE SMARTpolish less

Check your storage

Keep in mind

Keep it dry and sealed
Avoid wool and rubber
Clean gently, rarely
Less tarnish, less wear

THE SHORT ANSWER

Slow the tarnish,
then polish less.

Every polish takes a little silver away.
Prevention does the heavy lifting.

THE CAUSE

Sulphur in the air

The Institute of Conservation says tarnish is caused by sulphur compounds in the atmosphere, and that salts and grease from skin can mark polished silver too.

See the numbers

STORAGE

Wrap it and seal it

Conservators wrap silver in acid-free tissue before it goes into a sealed bag, and keep it away from wool, silk, felt and rubber bands.

Check your storage

CLEANING

A cloth, not a cream

For light tarnish Icon suggests a silver cleaning cloth. It warns that wadding, creams and rouge sticks wear away the surface over time.

How to do it

A QUICK STORAGE CHECK

Where does your
silver live?

Pick where a piece is kept to see how strongly conservation guidance says that spot speeds up tarnish. The bar shows the tarnish risk.

Storage check

Choose a storage spotIn tissue, in a sealed bagOut on a dressing tableIn a wool, silk or felt pouchHeld with a rubber bandOn a steamy bathroom shelf

In tissue, in a sealed bagSlows right down

In tests by English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces, tarnish in heat-sealed impermeable bags dropped below detection within two days of sealing.

Out on a dressing tableDust and air

Sulphur gases in the air reach it, and Icon notes that dust attracts moisture and can start the tarnish cycle. Dust it with a soft cloth or brush.

In a wool, silk or felt pouchSpeeds it up

Icon says protein-based materials such as wool, silk and leather contain sulphur compounds. Black felt is known to tarnish silver rapidly.

Held with a rubber bandSpeeds it up

A RISD Museum conservator lists rubber, including latex and elastic bands, among the sulphur sources that make silver tarnish.

On a steamy bathroom shelfMove it

Damp causes corrosion and high humidity speeds up tarnish. The RISD guidance suggests 30 to 40% relative humidity is better for silver.

Sources: Icon, Silver and plate care guide; Thickett and Hallett, Managing silver tarnish (ICOM-CC 2021); Ingrid Neuman, RISD Museum (2025).

Based on Institute of Conservation, English Heritage and RISD Museum conservation guidance. General care information for everyday pieces, not a substitute for a conservator.

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Mostly silver,
easily slowed.

One figure on what sterling is made of,
one on how fast a sealed bag works.

92.5%

Silver in a sterling alloy

Icon says sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Where conditions are harsh or damp, crusty green deposits are corrosion of that copper.

STERLING SILVER · ICON

2 days

Time for tarnish to stall

English Heritage and Historic Royal Palaces found tarnish in heat-sealed bags fell below detection limits within two days, even with known sulphide sources inside.

SEALED BAGS · ENGLISH HERITAGE

The same study found that showcase pumps with charcoal and dust filters cut silver tarnish rates by at least 95% in every case measured.

FOUR HABITS TO TRY

Bright silver,
without the wear.

None of this needs special kit. It is about where silver sits between wears and how gently it is cleaned when it does darken.

Silver earrings and a chain wrapped in white tissue paper beside a clear resealable bag in an open drawer — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Step 1

Wrap, then seal

Wrap each piece in acid-free tissue and keep it in a sealed polythene bag, so pieces do not scratch each other.

Step 2

Keep it dry

Store silver away from bathrooms and other damp spots. Icon says dampness causes corrosion.

Step 3

Ditch the rubber bands

Keep silver away from rubber, wool, silk and felt, which give off sulphur compounds.

Step 4

Polish rarely, gently

Use a silver cleaning cloth for light tarnish, and leave valued or historic pieces to a metals conservator.

BEFORE YOU POLISH

Every clean
takes some silver.

Hands gently wiping a plain silver bangle with a soft yellow polishing cloth on a wooden table — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Silver is soft, around 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale, so it scratches easily. Conservators point out that every clean removes a little metal, and on plated pieces the copper underneath will eventually show through.

Icon advises against abrasive wadding, creams, rouge sticks and brass or chrome cleaners on silver, and against electrochemical cleaners. If you use a silver dip, follow the label, wear rubber gloves, rinse and dry thoroughly.

Questions

Questions on the way

Why does silver turn black?

Tarnish is caused by sulphur compounds in the air reacting with the silver surface. Icon describes it moving from pink to brown and then to a very dark grey or black.

Is green on my silver the same as tarnish?

No. Icon says crusty green deposits are corrosion of the copper in the alloy, often from damp storage or cleaning residues. If it is extensive, it suggests asking a specialist conservator.

Does wearing silver make it tarnish?

Skin can mark silver. Icon says the salts and greases in skin are corrosive and can mark a polished surface, and a RISD Museum conservator notes fingerprints can be hard to polish out.

What is the best way to store silver jewellery?

Conservators wrap silver in acid-free tissue and keep it in sealed polythene bags, in a dry place, away from wool, silk, felt, rubber and wood such as oak.

Are home remedies like foil and baking soda safe?

A RISD Museum conservator lists baking soda and foil, toothpaste and lemon juice with salt among home remedies to beware of. Icon advises against electrochemical cleaners on silver.

Destination

Where the facts come from

Updated 15 October 2026

Keep the shineon your silver.

Slow the tarnish,then polish less.