Dear Ms. Hill,

Over the years I've gotten lots of silver-on-crystal vases, plates, and other things. They have all turned black with tarnish and I'd like to clean them up. Can I use regular silver polish on them?

Maureen Dowd, Milwaukee, WI

Dear Maureen,

Silver on crystal was and is still quite popular as a gift item and it's pretty easy to care for. I'd polish the silver areas using the basic pink silver paste produced by half a dozen different makers. Be careful to use a soft cloth and not to rub the surface too much as silver loss on such a thin layer could damage the pattern. When clean, wash your articles in warm sudsy water and set aside to dry. Do not use a dishwasher for this cleaning task.

Silver was sometimes used for decoration on ceramics over the course of history. I remember once encountering some French Empire plates that had both polychrome and silver decoration. I quickly discovered that the silver wasn't too stable when I tried to clean one using the same method described above. Be careful and always test your article by trying to clean a very small area first. If you have silver loss, stop the process and consult an expert.