Storage

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What can go wrong?
'Tarnish' appears as gradual discolouration and loss of polish, the metal turning first to pink, darkening to brown, and then to a very dark grey or black with a slight iridescent sheen. This is caused by sulphur compounds in the atmosphere, originating from the burning of fossil fuels and other industrial activity. Humans are also agents in producing tarnish -- the salts and greases in our skin are highly corrosive and can mark a polished surface irreversibly.

Where conditions have become more harsh, or an object has been severely neglected, you may also see crusty, green-coloured deposits. These are the corrosion products of the copper in the silver-alloy as it corrodes. There are many causes for this, but common ones are storage in damp conditions or the action of chemicals, especially those from the residues of cleaning compounds.

What you can do - prevention
# Avoid bringing silver into long-term contact with protein-based materials such as wool, silk or leather when choosing materials to store or display silver; these contain sulphur compounds.
# You can use sulphur-absorbing materials in a case to slow down tarnishing, e.g. Charcoal Cloth, Silver Safe, or copper-impregnated plastic films.
# Use clean cotton gloves to handle silver items -- especially when it is highly polished and at its most reactive.
# Keep silver dust-free using a soft clean lint-free cloth or a very soft hair brush. Dust can attract moisture and initiate the tarnish or corrosion cycle.
# Know your collection. Which items are valuable -- historically, personally, financially? You should not attempt to remove even tarnish from these yourself if you value them, but trust them to a specialist metals conservator.
# Keep tarnish-removal for other "everyday" items to a regular minimum. Bear in mind that each time you do this you are removing a little of the original surface.
# Keep the environment around your objects well-ventilated and dry -- dampness causes corrosion.
# When moving an item, use two hands around the body of a vessel and do not pick up by the handles, which are often weakened with age and use.

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A dog can be a great deterrent too.

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Call it a weather cycle or whatever, but it is funny everything is playing right out just how all the 2012 kooks said it would, with natural disasters, war, and economical disasters.

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They are everywhere with their ears to the railroad tracks.

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...and there are many easier ways for crooks to make their money.