Caring for oxidised silver.

Never use silver dip, or a silver polishing cloth. Both are designed to strip oxidation. They work extremely well, which is the problem — one pass through a dip tank and the blackened recesses come out bright, flat and characterless, and the finish cannot be put back at home.

If a piece looks dull, it is almost never the oxidation that needs treating. It is a film of skin oil, hairspray or soap sitting on top of it.

A dry, soft cloth is the whole method. Wipe the piece after wearing, following the raised surfaces rather than digging into the recesses. That alone keeps it looking as it did the day it was finished.

For something stickier — sunscreen, perfume residue — use a barely damp cloth with a drop of mild soap, then dry it immediately and completely. Water left sitting in the detail is what starts genuine corrosion, as opposed to the intentional finish.

In rough order of how much damage they do: chlorinated pool water, perfume and deodorant sprayed directly onto the piece, hair products, household cleaning agents, and prolonged sweat.

The habit that solves most of it: jewellery on last, off first. Perfume before the earrings, not after; earrings off before the gym, not during.

Dry, dark and separate. Humidity is the real enemy in most Indian homes — a closed box or a zip pouch with the air pressed out does more good than any special cloth.

Keep pieces from rubbing against each other. Oxidised surfaces scratch against harder stones and metal, and a scratch through the finish shows as a bright line that will not blend back in.

Anything with a pearl, an enamel inlay or a glued stone wants even less water and no soaking at all. Wipe the metal, keep moisture off the setting, and never leave it damp.

It will, a little, and that is not a fault. Oxidised silver deepens where it is handled and brightens where it rubs against cloth. A piece worn for a year does not look like one still in its pouch — it looks like yours.