Preparing the Scene

• Your silver jewelry needs polishing when it has turned from shiny silver into a dark gray or black from tarnish. It's best to collect all of your silver jewelry that needs polishing. Cleaning and polishing can be addictive--once you get started, you'll probably want to do all of it at once. Separate necklaces from pendants to make the cleaning easier. Set all the pieces up on a paper towel. You'll need a clean, dry cloth, another cloth you can use for cleaning, access to water for rinsing, a cloth or paper towel for blotting dry, and a clean, dry cloth for buffing. An old toothbrush is nice for getting into intricate jewelry areas. You will also need a container of silver polish, either in a small tub or a spray applicator.
  
  

The Polish

• Spray or rub the silver polish paste onto each piece of silver jewelry. Allow to dry into a dull luster. With a clean rag, take a piece of silver jewelry and rub with the rag. The longer you rub, the more the jewelry will begin to regain its natural color. The rag will become black with tarnish. You may have to reapply polish, allow it to dry and polish again repeatedly for very badly tarnished pieces. Use a toothbrush to get between stones or into filigree work.
  
  

Buffing

• Once all the black tarnish is removed, rinse each piece with clean water and blot dry. Use a clean, soft cloth for buffing each piece to a shine. The first rub can be hard, to clear off any residual tarnish, but as you buff you don't need to apply much pressure. The goal is to make each piece sparkle.