Sterling silver tarnishes. There is no avoiding it entirely. Keeping your silver clean is much easier than trying to clean it after it has darkened. However we do premium quality plating that increase it's life & makes it rust, tarnish free and water friendly. Here are some tips: If it's a piece you don't wear all the time, keep it in the pouch it came in and store it in a dark place, This helps prevent scratching and maintain color for vermeil and silver pieces. This minimize the oxidization (tarnish). It's higly recommended that remove your jewelry when applying scents, lotions, sprays and in the shower. If you do wear it all the time, you will need to periodically clean it. This can be done by purchasing a little pot of silver jewelry cleaner from your local drug or department jewelry counter, or by purchasing a cleaning cloth. Grocery stores also carry a product called "Silvo" that works well. There are also numerous articles on the internet with home cleaning methods that may be worth checking out.