Jewelry care 101.   So you have purchased a piece of my work.  You loved it, you took it home, wore it A LOT, but the air around us oxidized (tarnished) the piece a bit more than when you first purchased it.  Now what?  That’s easy.  I’ll show you a few simple steps for the basic pieces.  If you are in doubt as to the finish I put on your pieces – contact me before applying cleaners.  Some wet metal polishing agents or compounds will totally remove my finishes, even in the cracks, so contact me before you use it.
I love texture, so I usually force a patina and then “brush” the piece to highlight the texture (or in your case, I remove part of the patina and/or tarnish).  Below are the steps to make your item look like you just purchased it. 

If your piece has texture:
Buy some 1500 to 2000 grit “wet/dry” sand paper.  It is super smooth to the touch.  It can be found at hardware stores.  Rip off about a 2×2 inch square to make it easier to work with.  

Use light pressure and rub the grit side against the metal.  This will buff the surface, but not the grooved design.  You can buff the front and the back.

Compare the brushed and unbrushed.  You can see where the tarnish is buffed away and the recessed areas still contain patina.

You purchased “squiggles” or a piece that does not have texture:
Use a small amount of any ordinary tube of toothpaste and place some on your finger.

Rub the paste thoroughly on the front and back.  Toothpaste has a very slight abrasive quality to it and will shine up sterling silver, copper, brass and gold very quickly.

Rinse off  all of the toothpaste and pat dry. 

Compare and see just how easy it was to make these shiny and sparkling for your night out on the town!