To clean or not to clean..... An important question..

[IMAZTriBabe]

I have close to 100 pieces of silver and silver-plate flatware. I have read a number of pros and cons about cleaning and polishing. My gut tells me to gently clean with a polishing cloth and that's it. These pieces are anywhere from 50 years to 100+ years old and honestly feel that "polishing" them will really take away from their character..

All opinions and comments are welcome...

Thank you,

Lori

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[ReddWing]

I have 3 uncles native silversmiths and 1 uncle non-native silversmith & 1 uncle goldsmith.
The 5 agree ashes from a 100% oak fire and damp soft cloth and lots and lots of elbow grease won't harm silver, it will polish and have natural protection from tarnishing for a while. But they're my uncle's and know 98% of all my stuff is native and its condition. So please take with a grain of salt.

[AG2012]

Hi,
Silver should be cleaned,polished, silver is supposed to be shiny, not black. Its symbol Ag from Latin ``argentum`` is derived from Greek meaning literally ``shiny``. But do not use any abrasive, and no buffing wheels. Use your hands. There are many commercial products available, but again, no abrasive. Patina within chased and embossed relief is nice, though.
Regards