Sterling Silver Sterling silver is a mixture of pure silver and another metal. The resulting alloy gives the soft silver more strength. The standard is at least 92.5% silver, hence the .925 stamp. Dayna Designs jewelry exceeds this standard, and is more than 93.5% pure silver. We use only copper as an alloy, so our jewelry is safe and hypoallergenic. Silver tarnishes naturally over time with exposure to oxygen and sulfur. Wonderfully, wearing your silver jewelry often actually protects it from tarnishing as quickly. The natural oils in your skin help prevent tarnishing. When storing your jewelry, keep it in an airtight plastic bag and store in a cool dry place. In addition, we now platinum plate all of our silver jewelry. This is a thick plating of platinum, which both strengthens the metal and prevents tarnishing. While sterling silver is soft and easily scratched, platinum is just the opposite. It is extremely resistant to oxidation and so hard that it resists wear. Dayna Designs adds a layer of platinum onto our silver to produce jewelry that is both tarnish-resistant and durable. Do not wear your fine jewelry in the pool or hot tub with chlorine, or when using bleach or other harsh cleansers. These will damage the metal. To clean: The best way to clean tarnished sterling silver is with a polishing cloth, like the one included with your Dayna Designs order. Simply wipe the jewelry gently with the polishing cloth until shiny. Don’t worry if the cloth smudges and has black markings- that is normal, and the cloth can be used many times.