Sterling silver is a beautiful and durable metal that is made for everyday wear. Following a few basic use and care guidelines will ensure that your sterling silver items give you a lifetime of enjoyment. Please keep in mind that detergents and lotions can slowly erode the finish off gemstones and cause stones to become dull. Keep sterling silver and precious gemstones away from chlorine bleach and all household cleaners. These will cause damage to the silver and stones. Sterling silver is not difficult to take care of if you just follow a few simple precautions: Storing sterling silver in the open air and humidity for extended periods of time can cause it to tarnish quickly. Tarnish first appears as a golden hue on sterling silver, then quickly turns to black. This is a normal process that is caused by oxidization and moisture from air and sunshine. To reduce tarnish and keep jewelry tarnish free, it is recommended that sterling silver jewelry be stored in an air-tight protective bag made of tarnish proof cloth or a plastic zip lock bag. Although sterling silver jewelry is scratch resistant it isn't scratch proof. The natural oils from the skin help minimize the tarnishing of sterling silver items, so the more frequently a piece is worn, the less likely it is to tarnish. Clean sterling silver jewelry with a soft 100% cotton (nub free) cloth or jewelry cleaning cloth and gently rub off any excess dirt or makeup. Sterling silver is a very soft metal and can be scratched if it is rubbed too briskly.