Looking after your new (and old) silver jewellery is important and relatively simple. There are a few easy and inexpensive ways in which you can achieve this and we will take a look at the most simple first. Please note that it is important to read all of this document before cleaning your jewellery - especially if you are uncertain.

Fill a small bowl with warm water and add a little washing liquid - the same liquid you use to wash your dishes! Make sure that the water isn't hot, as this could possibly loosen gemstones that have been fixed using an adhesive. Using an old toothbrush (preferably not the one you use to clean your teeth), gently scrub your silver and gemstones until you have removed the dirt and grime from your jewellery. Rinse under warm (not hot) water and dry with a clean lint-free cloth.

There are other household cleaning agents that can be used to clean your silver jewellery safely. For example, you can use toothpaste (again, with an old toothbrush) to gently scrub your silver and gemstones. It is good for removing light staining without being abrasive. Would you clean your teeth with it otherwise? Be sure to use normal toothpaste and not the gel variety and rinse your silver jewellery under warm water after cleaning. Then dry with a clean lint-free cloth.

For more stubborn and heavy tarnishing, you may also use household ammonia, but make certain to wear rubber gloves. Prepare a diluted solution of warm water and ammonia to about 50/50 (half water to half ammonia). It is strongly recommended opening a window or two, as ammonia has quite a strong smell. Leave your silver jewellery to soak for no longer than 30 minutes and scrub gently with an old toothbrush. Swish your silver jewellery briefly for a second time in the solution, rinse with warm water and leave to dry on a piece of tissue paper or kitchen roll. Please continue for information about gemstones that are NOT safe for cleaning using ammonia or other chemical dips.

If you are hesitant about using ammonia, try dropping a couple of denture tablets into some warm water, leaving your silver jewellery to soak for about an hour. Again, rinse with warm water and dry using a lint-free cloth.

A silver cleaning dip can be purchased from most jewellers and may be used to clean most of your silver jewellery safely. There are a few guidelines to follow before dipping any jewellery into a chemical cleaning solution (other than a soap solution, which is safe to use with all stone types):

NEVER dip jewellery containing porous stones into a chemical dip. These stones include jet, lapis, opals, pearls (including shell) and turquoise, as they will dry out or flake. Dipping porous stones can cause discolouration and will remove the natural oils leaving behind a dusty looking surface. Dipping pearls and shell can also cause bad flaking of their surface layers.

If you have already used a chemical dip to clean your porous gemstones, some stones may easily be rescued by rubbing them with a clean lint-free cloth and a drop of pure oil. This will bring back the lustre. However, this will not repair a damaged pearl or shell.

Gemstones that are safe to dip include amethyst, blue topaz, citrine, diamond, garnet, iolite, peridot, rubies and sapphires - to name a few. If you are uncertain, always check with your jeweller. Most non-porous gemstones are perfectly safe to clean in a chemical dip, but never leave them in the dip for longer than the time advised on the chemical container instructions - always check!

When dipping your silver jewellery, check frequently (every minute or so) and remove once the dirt or tarnish has been satisfactorily removed. Once more, rinse the silver jewellery in warm water and dry with a lint-free cloth.

Although wearing your silver jewellery generally helps to prevent tarnishing (due to your body's natural oil and chemical balance), acidic foods, hair spray, perfumes and makeup all cause jewellery discoloration and tarnishing. The occasional clean in soapy warm water and wearing your silver jewellery regularly is all that is needed to keep it sparkling and tarnish-free for many years.