Caring for Sterling Silver Collectibles
02.24.06By Lorraine Newberry
I adore the romantic, old-fashioned look of a table set with crisp white linens and gleaming sterling silver tableware. It reminds me of something out of a Katherine Hepburn film set in the forties. Candlesticks, coasters, salt & pepper shakers, silverware – I just love collecting that stuff. All that beautiful silver needs to be taken care of properly, though, to keep it looking its best. Here are a few tips for caring for silver.
While I think that a little tarnish deep in the grooves of a piece with raised surfaces has a nice old-fashioned look about it, most people want their pieces on display to be tarnish free. Tarnish removers can usually be found at home stores or even the cleaning section of the supermarket. You don’t want to use tarnish removers too often, because they can contain harsh chemicals that strip some of the silver from the piece you are cleaning. Look for a tarnish remover that’s specifically meant for silver, and use a gentle rubbing motion with a soft cloth when removing tarnish from the piece.
After the initial tarnish removal, it’s best to prevent tarnish from forming again on your silver that’s on display. When silver is being displayed, in a china cabinet for instance, silica gel can be used to keep the air dry and limit the amount of tarnishing. A monthly cleaning with just a clean, damp cloth should keep the tarnish away. After using the silver, simply washing by hand and drying it can keep it tarnish-free. It’s a good idea to empty salt from silver salt shakers between uses, since the salt can corrode the silver.
When the silver is not on display, wrap it in silver storage cloths which are designed to limit the formation of tarnish. These can be found at jewelry shops and stores where silverware is sold. The silver can then be placed in a plastic bag or storage chest.
I love the look of a dining table beautifully set with snowy white linens, pretty china and gleaming silver flatware. There’s just something charming and old-fashioned about the look. I used to devour the photos in the now defunct Victoria magazine showing lovely table settings. That is why I began collecting antique sterling silver flatware. Over time I’ve built up a beautiful collection of sterling silver pieces that I can pull out on special occasions and display in my china cabinet at other times.
