Proper care of your jewelry adds to the life of the piece.  Unfortunately, everything changes with time, use and wear. I need only to look in the mirror to be reminded of that fact. Your sterling silver or beaded gemstone jewelry is no different. There are several things we recommend doing to help prolong the life of your jewelry.

Keep them clean. It is much easier to remove tarnish and soil when it is minimal. If you allow your jewelry to turn black with tarnish, it may damage the metal. The longer you go between cleanings the harder it is to restore it to it's original luster. So best to keep it clean  polishing cloth and to store in an air tight bag, such as a zip-lock bag, to keep tarnish down. Or better yet wear them, this helps keep tarnish down.

Always remove your jewelry before using any product that contains bleach, ammonia, alcohol, fingernail polish removers that contain acetone, and turpentine. Some of these can cause a breakdown in the metal alloys leaving your jewelry beyond repair and dull or even pit the surface of your gemstones.

• Avoid storing your sterling silver jewelry directly on wood surfaces, because wood usually contains acids that can mar the finish. Oak seems to be the worst for this.
• Also, avoid storing your sterling silver with other metals, like pennies, and rubber, these too cause tarnish and damage.
• Do not place in a cardboard box or on paper as they have sulfur producing compounds in them that increase the rate of oxidation. 
• Check for loose stones or parts and have them repaired right away so as not to lose any stones or parts. With normal wear and tear, stones may loosen over time. If a stone rocks in its setting you will need to tighten the bezel around the stone to prevent loss of your precious gemstones. You can usually tighten these yourself, if you use special care. The back of a spoon works well to run it along the bezel to press it down on the gemstone and tighten it again. It is always advisable to consult a local jeweler to tighten the bezel to be on the safe side and doesn't cost much.
• To reduce tarnish and keep your pieces tarnish free for months at a time, it is recommended that you keep your sterling silver jewelry in an air-tight protective bag made of tarnish proof cloth or you can use a plastic zip lock bag made of Mylar (turkey cooking bags) or polyethylene. Be warned that some plastic contains sulfur compounds which can cause your jewelry to tarnish faster or stain. Never use polyvinyl plastic bags.
•  Although your jewelry is scratch resistant it isn't scratch proof, so we recommend that you store your jewelry so that it isn't rubbing up against other articles, like in a loose drawer or jewelry box.

Sterling silver, stored properly, can be worn often and with minimal cleaning required, making it very easy to care for and lots of fun to wear.