The tarnishing of the ornament is a normal thing that happens, especially on the white paint. We usually see it when the ornament is left in the silk box for long periods of time, it can cause the paint to tarnish. This is similar to other metal tarnishing. Storage: We encourage the ornaments to be stored in their original box, away from extreme heat (like an attic or garage). We also encourage you to keep the white ornaments in a plastic bag* inside the box to prevent tarnishing. *all ornaments with white paint will ship to you inside a plastic bag.