It is most important to use and enjoy your silver. With careful polishing and general maintenance the silver develops a soft patina and the odd blemish or 'ding' acquired along the way means your piece is gaining its own character.

In addition to regular cleaning with silver polish if an item has been used for salt or sauces the silver should thoroughly hand-washed in warm, soapy water then rinsed and dried. Similarly fingerprints should be cleaned off as soon as possible using an impregnated silver cloth.

A silver cloth will bring an item back to life but regular cleaning, every 3 to 6 months, is also advisable using 'silver soap' or silver dip from a reputable source such as Heggarty. Cleaning solutions can be purchased from either store.

Please remember that it is the patination on old silver contributes to its character and therefore value; removing it can often result in the value falling.