Objects made of silver, a relatively soft metal, could be damaged by rough handling. Raised areas and handles are especially susceptible to denting and joint failure. Display pieces should be handled with care, lifting from the center of gravity, never by the handle or lip. If historic silver serving pieces are being used, their owners should accept a certain amount of wear and tear from handling and more frequent cleaning.

Repairs to valuable silver, which may involve soldering or raising and reshaping dents, should be done by a qualified metalsmith familiar with historical techniques or an art conservator. In some cases, jewelers may be willing to do small repairs on silver artifacts.

A simple way to preserve fine silver, and to reduce the necessity for polishing, is to store silver properly. Maintaining an even, low humidity where metal objects are kept (ideally below 50% Benson Ford Research Center 4 Relative Humidity) will help. In most homes, this is difficult to ensure, but generally speaking, basements are often damp in the summer and, therefore, should not be used for silver storage. 

Gallery 925 offers customer silver storage service for your cutlery. Please contact us via email info@gallery925.