Store instead in acid-free tissue, a soft cloth roll, or a bag designed to resist tarnish, and keep it somewhere dry and not the kitchen. Then, ideally, ignore all of that and use the things. Silver that gets handled, washed and put away regularly barely tarnishes at all. A single silver teaspoon in the morning coffee is not affectation; it is maintenance.
Is the foil-and-bicarbonate trick safe for good silver?
It works — the hot water, foil and bicarbonate reaction genuinely lifts tarnish quickly — but it is indiscriminate, and that is the problem. It strips the deliberate darkening from engraved patterns, can leave an oddly matte, whitish finish, and is risky on plated pieces, hollow handles, glued components or anything with stones. For a tangled pile of modern silver chains it is a reasonable shortcut; for a christening mug or your grandmother's cutlery, use a proper polish and your hands.
How do I tell whether it's solid silver or silver plate?
Look for hallmarks on the underside, the back of a handle or near a rim — solid silver is usually stamped with a purity mark or a set of small assay marks, while plate often carries letters such as EPNS or the words "silver plated". Plate also tends to show a warmer, coppery tone where it has worn thin at edges and high points. If you cannot tell and the piece matters to you, an antiques dealer or jeweller will look at it in a minute, and either way the gentle cleaning method above is the safe one.
