What is tarakasi?
Cuttack’s filigree begins as a silver bar and ends as wire finer than a hair, bent into lace.
How to keep silver from tarnishing
Wear it often, store it dry and polish it gently: three habits that keep silver bright.
Silver darkens because it reacts with sulphur in the air, in rubber, in some foods and in sweat. The dark layer is silver sulphide, and it forms faster in humid places like Cuttack in the monsoon.
The simplest way to keep silver bright is to wear it. The gentle friction against skin and clothes polishes it daily. Pieces that sit in a drawer for months tarnish far more than pieces worn every week.
Store silver in a small zip bag with the air pressed out, or wrapped in acid-free tissue. Keep it away from rubber bands, wool and newspaper, all of which contain sulphur. A piece of chalk in your jewellery box absorbs moisture.
To clean silver at home, use a soft silver cloth and rub in straight lines, not circles. Avoid toothpaste, which scratches. For oxidised pieces, clean only the raised parts, or the dark detail will disappear.
If a piece has darkened badly, bring it to us. Polishing is free for life on anything we have made.
